Anomalous Effect
by Transwarrior666
Summary: They came to Thessia 38,000 years ago to save our ancestors from the demons. We thought they had all disappeared, and yet they remain; beyond relay 314, sleeping under the shadow of the Zone, waiting for the return of their enemies. We call them Sta'kars, creatures of light and wisdom, kindred of the gods, but I know their true name: They call themselves Humans. - Liara T'soni.
1. Chapter 1

This will not be a normal fic. Instead of a normal storyline, it will be more like a series of snippets, entries and omakes. So don't expect a straight story.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. belongs to GSC

Mass Effect belongs to Bioware.

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 _We are the result of an experiment aimed at creating a superconsciousness called "C-Consciousness". The consciousnesses of seven volunteers were connected during the experiment leading to the creation of the superconsciousness that is us. We immediately subordinated those who were conducting the experiment and assigned them to tasks we needed them to carry out. According to our calculations, Earth is surrounded by a special informational field, the so-called noosphere. It includes all the inhabitants of the planet with cognitive abilities. Our main goal was to make small adjustments to the noosphere, allowing us to remove things like anger, cruelty, greed and other negative factors from the planet. Individuals are unable to affect the noosphere but C-Consciousness could. Unfortunately we made a mistake and our interference spawned the Zone, which we have been trying to contain ever since._

\- The First C-Consciousness, On the Origins of Humanity's Downfall

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 _Come to me. You will gain what you deserve. Your wish will soon come true. Come to me. Your path is ending. Come to me. Only one will be rewarded._

\- The Wish Granter

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CE - Contemporary Era

900 to 1200 CE

The last remnants of the Prothean empire are wiped out, along with other contemporary space faring races. The Reapers retreat from the galaxy back into Dark Space to await the next cycle.

1960's CE

The USSR establish the Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics as a cover for Soviet research into consciousness control and the Noosphere.

At around the same decade, Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel in space, while Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on Luna.

1986 CE

On April 26 Reactor Four of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant goes critical and explodes, releasing extensive radioactive materials over a wide area, forcing large scale evacuation of the temple city of Yat (previously known as Pripyat). This event would later be called the Chernobyl Disaster.

Reactor 4 would later be nicknamed the Sarcophagus.

The Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics was also officially shut down, but work continued underground.

2000 CE

Researchers at the Institute of Crop Selection and Genetics conclude their experiments on the Comprehensive Information-Energy Field Theory with considerable success.

2006 CE

On June 10 of this year, a blinding light illuminates the sky high above the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This event lasts for over 2 hours before subsiding. A similar event occurs about a month later, but this time it was more powerful and lasts much longer. This event was also followed by 6.9 Richter earthquake.

Investigation of this phenomenon - now called an emission - indicated that it originated about a kilometer away from the NPP. To make matters worse, the "emission" also seemed to have created several unidentified anomalous areas around the Chernobyl NPP.

The event would later be called "The Second Disaster."

Military personnel cordon off the affected areas and quickly evacuate any nearby civilians. This area would later be called the Zone of Alienation or simply "The Zone."

It was also around this period that the first artifacts and anomalies appeared, all of which defy the laws of physics and opening the way for an entirely new and unprecedented field of research.

2010 CE

The first Stalkers appear, most of whom have entered the Zone in search of artifacts to sell to outside buyers. Among these is the legendary "Doctor," an old man rumored to possess the ability to heal any disease.

2012 CE

On May 1, the "Marked One" wakes up in a local trader's bunker after the crash of a death truck. The Marked One would later learn his true identity as a Stalker named "Strelok," while at the same time, uncovering a secret device called the "Brain Scorcher" at the center of the Zone.

On May 12, Strelok disables the Brain Scorcher and destroys the First C-Consciousness.

On May 25, The Ukrainian Government executes Operation Fairway, but the operation ends in an disastrous failure.

On August 1, Major Alexander Degtyarev is sent into the Zone to investigate what happened to Operation Fairway.

On October 2, Major Degtyarev, Strelok and several military personnel evacuate Pripyat. Their success gave the Ukrainian government vital information about the C-Consciousness, the Brain Scorcher and the scientific findings of Lab X-19 on the nature of the Zone and the Noosphere.

It was only a matter of time before this information reaches Russian and Western intelligence agencies.

2014 CE

A new zone appears in Afghanistan.

At around this same period, a detachment of American Marines under the command of Colonel James W. Leighley mutiny, and form "The Tribe" in what is now known as the "New Zone." Leighley, along with his men, slowly develop the Tribe into a formidable fighting force, taking control of a significant area of the New Zone.

Several attempts by U.S. special forces to apprehend Leighley and his men end in failure.

From their fortress in Shahr-i-Zohak, now called "The Alamo," the Tribe begins carving up their own territory in the wastes of the New Zone.

2015 CE

More and more stalkers begin appearing in the New Zone. And to make matters worse, it seems that the New and original Zones are spreading _towards_ each other, like two bacteria merging into one.

2018 CE

January - The two zones finally merge, leading to creation of a massive anomalous Zone of Alienation that stretches from the steppes of Ukraine to the wastelands of Afghanistan, and it was getting larger.

At around this same period, Emissions and Anomalies begin to appear in several countries, across several continents. At first, state authorities attempted to control and contain the threat, but these efforts fail miserably. Mass exodus away from the affected areas begin.

November - As refugees flee from areas taken by the newly merged Zones, affected countries scramble to find a way to eliminate this new, emerging threat, while at the same time, attempting to contain the growing civil unrest that has begun to plague all affected areas.

December - New and powerful mutant breeds begin to appear among the new Zones. Many veteran Stalkers are also reported to manifest certain mutations, like superhuman perceptions, immunity to radiation and even psy-abilities. Naturally, governments and powerful organizations begin to take notice.

2019 CE

Despite the threat posed by the new Zones, there were also good tidings. Noospheric research unlocks groundbreaking discoveries on various fields, including the recently established area of Psy-research and the Information-Energy Field Theory. Furthermore, Artifacts and Anomalies provide incredible new insights on energy manipulation, gene therapy, nano-technology, quantum physics, materials science and many more. The Teleportation Properties of Space Bubble Anomalies - basically, miniature Wormholes - have even opened up the possibility of Faster Than Light travel.

People who have extensive exposure to the Zones also begin manifesting more and more mutations. Although the Stalkers are often used as the most common examples, scientists and military personnel who have been to the Zones also begin manifesting them as well.

2026 CE

Economic and Social Collapse. Zones have appeared all across the world, consuming entire cities and towns. Artifacts and anomalies become more common and even more powerful.

Grotesque, psy-induced mutations also begin to appear among thousands of newborn infants all across the world, many of whom die several weeks after birth. To make matters worse, the lack of adequate food and infrastructure has lead to population contraction among most of the world's countries.

As the "Old World" slowly crumbled into dust, veteran Stalkers begin to establish their own communities. These communities are tight knit, strictly disciplined and based on ethnic, cultural and linguistic homogeneity. These would eventually form the core of new human societies adapted to the needs and challenges of life among Zones.

As the Zones continued to spread, it began to impose upon Humanity a brutal selection process, which weeded out the weak and the non-adaptive. The ruthless code of honor of the Stalkers, including their offshoots: Duty, Freedom, The Tribe and the The Ecologist, soon make their way into the thinking of the rest of humanity, leading to new social and cultural mores.

2030 CE

Ecological, social and economic collapse has led to mass starvation and widespread low intensity conflicts. Human population also continues to decline, while "birth defects" (i.e. psy-induced mutations) continue to rise.

People transfer their loyalties away from states and into smaller tight knit communities, most of which had been created by former Stalkers. Ethnic and religious identity resurface with a pitiless vengeance, wiping away modern sensibilities, just as the Zones wiped away the natural laws of physics.

It was also at around this time that Duty, Freedom and the Ecologists (along with various other factions that originated in the first and second Zones) began to gain political power, thanks to their knowledge of the Zones and the resources that they've built up over the years. They gathered military hardware as well as the personnel to man them, becoming essentially small military-states themselves.

In Europe, the emergence of several rapidly growing Zones in Wales, the Bordeaux region, Norther Italy, Southern Spain and Western Poland led to the collapse of the EU in 2026. Since then, new powers emerged to create _Nova Imperium Europa_ , a confederacy of several communities led by veteran European Stalkers and military veterans. Responding to the chaos created by the Zone, the Imperium would slowly extend its powers all across Europe, to be welcomed by locals and civilians who now find themselves at the mercy of the new Zones.

In Asia, the PRC struggles to hold to power as several Zones begin appearing in several major metropolitan areas. In South East Asia, low intensity conflicts become the norm, whereas Japan and the Koreas slide into Chaos, as they each deal with their own newly emerging Zones.

India is spared from having to deal with its own Zone, but reports of rampaging mutants migrating from the North, in Afghanistan, bring terror and fear to an already fear-stricken populace.

2042 CE

The last of the Nation-States have fallen, and from their ashes, stood the indomitable power of those who know how to survive in the Zones: _Freedom, the Ecologists, Duty,_ and of course, _the Stalkers_ themselves. Though lacking the centralizing powers of the state, these factions eventually gain a substantial amount of influence over the loose collection of "bunker cities," tent settlements, "Neo-Castles" and other forms of organized human communities which survived the collapse to form their own power blocs.

The same is true with the Tribe. After the fall of the United States government, various communities and groups slowly emulate the code and hierarchy of The Tribe, thus establishing a new martial culture among the ashes of the fallen United States. The leaders of the Tribe transfer most of their assets from the Zone of Afghanistan to the recently manifested Manhattan Zone, fortifying it and drawing on the support of many American Veterans, creating a Confederacy of "Tribes," which are bound by codes of honor and martial ethics.

In Europe, the Imperium - now closely allied with Duty and the Ecologists - have achieved the impossible: A United Europe. The Imperium's first priority was to dig in and make sure that the European Zones do not threaten the survival of their people. _Imperial_ Armies were quickly created to face the threat not only of the Zone, but of other human groups as well.

In the Middle East, a new Caliphate emerges with the collapse of the old Nation-States due to the emergence of several Zones centered around Aleppo, Manzikert, Jerusalem, Cairo and even Holy Mecca in 2029. Basing their right to rule on a new sect of Islam which sees the Zones as tests from the Almighty, the Caliphate begins preaching an expansionist ideology that combines millenarian Eschatology with most of the world's fear of the Zones.

Founded by desperate men, this new Caliphate initially attempted to launch a new Jihad on a weakened Europe - the so-called "Jihad of Renewed Honor" - but the threat of full Nuclear retaliation as well as several crushing defeats in the Balkans as well as a demoralizing stalemate in Cyprus forced the Caliphate to turn south, to Africa, where the emergence of several extremely large Zones promised many new and powerful artifacts to strengthen their Holy War.

The new Caliphate launch a new Jihad southward into Africa, exterminating large groups of people and converting the rest. Entire African ethnic groups are made extinct by the Zone, and those who survived dwindled due to starvation, war, mutations, mutants, emissions, anomalies and the Caliphate.

At around the same period, the Caliphate also launches an attack on Israel. Without the support from devastated Europe and fallen America, the Israelis were forced to fend on their own. After several months of bitter, bloody fighting and several emissions appearing over Jerusalem and in several parts of Gaza, the Israeli government is forced to confront the inevitable: They would have to leave Israel if they wanted the Jewish people to survive.

2043

The remnants Israeli army attacks Cyprus and exterminates the Imperial and Caliphate garrisons fighting there. Native Cypriots (or what's left of them) are quickly pacified, and complete shut it down protocols are soon implemented for the benefit of refugee Israelis.

Large scale population transfer from Israel to Cyprus also take place, as the Island is quickly turned into a Fortress. Israel also brings along its nuclear arsenal as a potential deterrent against both the Caliphate and the Imperium.

Knowing that darkness has now covered the world, the Jews isolate themselves in Cyprus, cutting off communications, and killing off anyone or anything attempting to enter their territory, regardless of whether they're military, mutant or refugee.

2044

Without oil or trade to sustain its economy and population, the remnants of the PRC - now calling themselves _The Most Righteous Warriors of A Renewed Ancestral Heritage_ or simply _The Heritage_ \- launch an all out war on South East Asia, Japan and South Korea in an attempt to seize their energy and food reserves to feed their starving populations. In response to this threat, Japan, the Koreas and most of South East Asia begin mobilizing all their military assets. They also began inviting veteran Stalkers of the _Freedom_ faction to help them train their armies in Zone combat and to share with them their knowledge of anomalies and Zones.

Mutations are continuing to manifest themselves on most of the world's population, which is now down to 5.6 Billion and slowly dwindling.

2045 CE

February - Rampaging Mutants from what used to be the New Zone now inhabit most of Northern India, pushing most of the inhabitants southward. Previously thriving Indian cities are turned into ghost towns, but filled with real life monsters.

August - As the world struggles with the Zones, Brazil and several parts of Latin America become silent. It turns out that a kind of stationary, low intensity Emission has appeared over the affected areas. No one know how or why, but large parts of Latin America would undergo communication blackouts for several years.

Refugees from these areas speak of new, terrifying Zones as well as vast fields of anomalies that stretch for several miles. Experts and Scientists theorize that this new pheno #!**

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2054 CE

With the the Caliphate retreating back to its last strongholds along the Persian Gulf, and a ceasefire between _the Heritage_ and their opponents, the Koreas, Japan and South East Asia, a strange, tired peace begins to make itself known to the world once more.

After decades of war and conflict, both the _Nova Imperium Europa_ and the _Tribes_ have grown stronger, not strong enough to challenge the now enormous Zones which now infest most of the world's surface, but strong enough to keep their people from sliding into oblivion.

Freedom, Duty and the Ecologists now control large parts of what used to be Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and most of the Eurasian landmass, while free Stalkers now roam the Zones all over the world. 2054 would be remembered as the year that people found hope again.

Despite decades of war and civil unrest, Research on Anomalies and Artifacts have lead to the creation of new and sophisticated technology. Noospheric FTL as well as Matter Displacement technology are now in the final stages of applied research, while new Exoskeletons and Gauss Rifles have been developed using recently developed _Synthetic Artifacts_. In addition to these, the fields of Directed Energy Weapons Technology and Nano-Technology also explode by leaps and bounds, as artifacts and anomalies unlock new insights.

However, the greatest scientific achievement of this time was not a weapon or an engine. It was the advancement of the human creature itself. By unlocking the secrets of the first C-Consciousness, scientists - mainly those from the Ecologist faction - have developed human psy-enhancement technology.

The original intent of this research was to prevent the psy-related mutations and birth defects, but the results of this work far exceeded the goals of its researchers. This recently unlocked power has many strange implications, including the possibility that human beings themselves have the power to directly manipulate actual matter using nothing more than their Psychic-Noospheric powers. This discovery basically implies that human beings can project localized psy-emission fields and use it to manipulate physical objects around them, much the same way anomaly fields distort conventional laws of physics. There are even rumors that the Ecologists have engineered humans who can manipulate space-time itself.

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孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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In addition to these findings, new evidence also emerged of increasing mutations among stalkers. Although not apparent and retaining most of their human features, most Stalkers have now begun manifesting unusual powers similar to those of Burers and Controllers.

Furthermore, there are also rumors that the Stalkers may be exhibiting some strange form of "immortality," as several Stalker personalities, most notably Strelok, are rumored to still be alive, and hiding in the countless Zones. Several eyewitnesses report that... 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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2060 CE

The state of the planet is deteriorating. Most of the Earth's surface is now scarred by Zones and fields of anomalies. Unnatural fissures slice through the landscape, as mutants and other monsters make their homes among the mad, broken remnants of the humanity's lost civilization. Emissions now occur 2 to 3 times a day on average, while in certain areas, such as the territories of what used to Brazil and Chile are plagued by ceaseless and unending emission cycles.

Despite the best efforts of the Ecologists and the scientific community, the Zones continue to spread at an alarming rate. The Bunker Cities and other similar settlements become the last refuge of the civilized world, and are under the protection of Duty and Tribe military forces.

2061 CE

It is a strange irony that the more humanity dies out, the more powerful it becomes. Despite the technological discoveries made in recent decades, the rate of stillbirths and serious birth defects have reached as high as 47%, with rates higher among populations which dwell near or at the center of major Zones.

To make matters worse, children born with "Noospheric-Genetic" birth defects often die by the age 5 or younger. Demographic estimates do not yield favorable predictions, with some expecting human extinction by the middle of the second half of the 22nd Century.

2062 CE

 _The Heritage_ \- now the undisputed government of China sign a permanent peace treaty with their neighbors, officially bringing to an end the war that has ravaged Asia for years. Despite the atrocities and war crimes carried out by both sides during the war, continuing the conflict was simply no longer feasible. With the Zones becoming more powerful and mutants growing more dangerous, ancient Asia simply could not afford to fight itself anymore.

In India and Central Asia, populations have adapted to the pitilessness of Zone life. Roving bands of warriors and Stalkers hunt mutants among ruined Indian cities, much in the same way mutants hunt human refugees.

In Europe, the _Imperium_ strengthens its borders and keeps its defenses on high alert, as the European Zones gain more power and momentum, causing more emissions, and expanding the size and intensity of anomaly fields.

In North America, the situation is the same, but instead of a centralized government, the various _Tribes_ simply strengthen their own specific _bunker cities_ and maintain clear lines of communication and travel.

Though still suffering from widespread emissions, most of Latin America allies themselves with the Freedom faction, and subsequently forms La Libertad, an offshoot of the original Freedom faction. With their help, and the goodwill of the Ecologists, Latin America begins to fight back against their Zones.

Other parts of the world are not so fortunate. Most of Australia is now infested by Chimeras and Bloodsuckers and the vast majority of the Australian population is forced to retreat to New Zealand, which is still relatively free from Zone-like activity. Only Australian Stalkers opted to remain.

In Africa, the slaughter of the Caliphate combined with the devastation of the Zones, has depopulated most of the Dark Continent. Although exact numbers are missing, estimates predict that several millions have died as a result of starvation, mutation, emissions and War. With African Zones becoming more powerful and the world unable to render aid, what's left of Africa faced a very dubious struggle for survival.

On the bright side, although the rate of mutations and still births have not gone down, they have not gone up either. And as the world awoke to this devastation, a grim sort of hope spreads across humanity.

2068 CE

The Tribe, Duty and the Imperium form new alliances and partnerships with the Ecologists, while the Heritage, and other Asian nations express interest in their findings... 孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.

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Later this year, the Ecologists finally agree to several treaties that would give groups access to their findings.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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2070 CE

Research on Teleportation and Space Anomalies leads to the creation of a prototype Noospheric FTL Drive. The device was a tremendous success, allowing for serial, rapid, point to point long-range self-teleport chains between Terra and several orbital and sub orbital locations.

Also, the Ecologists announce numerous breakthroughs in anomaly-based energy synthesis, antigravity, genome modification and teleportation. By spearheading research on artifacts and mutants, the Ecologists have achieved discoveries and technologies that scientists in previous generations could only dream of. Were it not for the fact that the planet was being turned into a place worse than hell and the gradual extinction of the human race through war, famine and mutation, this period in human history would have been called a new golden age.

2073 CE

The Noospheric Drive has successfully allowed man to land on Mars. Study of gravitational, heat and electro-magnetic based anomalies also accelerate terraforming technology by leaps and bounds.

The opportunity to leave the devastated Earth and the rapidly expanding Zones gives humanity a spark of hope. Despite everything that the human race has went through, there was now the chance for a new beginning.

2074 CE

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2075 CE

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孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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2077 CE

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September - 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

October - 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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* * *

Attention!

Your security clearance (HA49-N7) precludes you from accessing certain data files in the% %%!Error Detected... _Idi Ko Mnye. Idi Ko Mnye. Idi Ko Mnye._ %# $Error Detected... To allow access, please contact the administrator or the Duty Intelligence Operations Officer.

Thank You And Have A Nice Day.

* * *

2078 CE

A colony is established on Mars by the Duty faction, while the Ecologists establish their own colony on Titan. Freedom holds a small settlement on Luna, but they along with the Tribes are largely Earth-bound.

As for the Imperium, they have set up several large space base capital ship factories on Earth's orbit thanks to their widespread use of Synthesized Space-based anomalies. In order to avoid further conflict, the Imperium agrees to offer the Tribes, the Heritage, Duty, Freedom and even the Caliphate ship building rights, but retain most production capabilities for themselves.

In the meantime, the Heritage and the Caliphate spearhead greenhouse food production as well as terraforming research, allowing man to thrive in alien environments.

Despite the scars of the past, it seems that the promise of hope at the start of this decade has finally born fruit.

2090 CE

Luna, Mars and Titan are finally fully settled. Enceladus too is colonized, but is yet to fully developed. These heavenly bodies now house approximately 68% of the entire human population.

2092 CE

Three separate expeditions to Alpha Centauri, Sirius and Luyten are launched at around this period. Two of the expeditions are under the control of the Ecologists, but affiliated with all the major factions. The third was a combined Imperium-Duty expedition.

The expeditions each consists of the 4 ships that featured the latest Noospheric FTL drives and powered by some of the most powerful artifacts known to man. For additional information about the these expeditions and the technologies used for them, please visit file BHT248-XZ.

2112 CE

Despite tremendous breakthroughs on Psy Research, Noospheric mutations and related deaths continue to rise, leading to mass consumption of Psy-block medication and Anabiotics. Psy-block drugs block avalanche-like nerve impulses in order to protect the user from psy-anomalies. However, consumption also induces short-term loss of all emotion, the effects of which are long-lasting.

2120 CE

New colonies are established on Alpha Centauri, Luyten and Sirius.

2128 CE

The final phase of the development of an "Emission Warhead" is now complete. Emission warheads are not similar to the primitive thermonuclear devices used in previous generations. Unlike conventional WMDs, Emission Warheads are designed to unleash a very powerful Emission within a given area, crushing conventional space-time equilibrium and creating an extremely volatile Zone that gradually destroys everything within its effective range.

For further information about the development of the Emission Warhead, the parties involved as well as their capabilities, please refer to file GOJ835-PN.

2130

More and more stalkers and heavily mutated humans exhibit signs of immortality. Scientists are perplexed, but the most common hypothesis is that due to their exposure to the Zones, certain humans now emit their own psy-emissions.

"A kind of psychic radiation," one Doctor Hermann III explains.

This hypothesis helps to explain not only the mutations and the increasing rate of birth defects among newborns, but also the unusual longevity of certain Stalkers, some of whom are now over 100 years, but still look like they're in their 40's.

Most attempts to apprehend such individuals fail and are met with hostility by local groups, particularly Stalkers.

2132

More and more genetic mutations are reported among newborns. This is true even in the colonies, which perplexed most people, as it is believed that the Noospheric disruption was believed to have been a purely Earth-based phenomenon.

To make matters worse, a new Zone appears on Mars and Titan almost simultaneously. Although small, both were growing, and there were signs that new Anomaly fields were slowly emerging on certain places close to human settlements. Such events cause widespread alarm among the human populace on Titan and Mars.

However, the Ecologists had already anticipated such developments, and they explained in several news conferences that the reason why new Zones have appeared on the colonies was because the Zones are essentially tied to the Zones themselves.

Humanity was the source of the Zones, because we were also the source of the Noosphere. Humanity's collective psy-consciousness is what allows the Zones to exist. Like cancer cells that project themselves unto the physical world, humanity's psy-emissions was the source of the problem, and as long as the mystery of the Information-Energy Field Theory (which at this point, many scientists still don't know much about) remains an enigma the threat of human extinction would never go away, regardless of how far humanity tries to run.

In short, escape was impossible.

2133

After the revelations last year, 2133 became a year of unspoken hopelessness. Multiple riots break out on Luna, Mars and Titan, all of which are met with swift retributions by Duty and the Tribes. The Martian and Titan Zones continue to expand and human population also continues to contract due to increasing rates of stillbirth and birth mutations. However, new breakthroughs in human psy-emissions offer hope to an increasingly desperate populace.

2145

Disaster. A major Ecologist exploratory fleet disappears while en-rout back to Sol. Investigations into this matter have yielded very little results. The evidence available on this event was a garbled transmission from one of the Ecologists ships speaking about "Cuttlefish-shaped" vessel 5 LY outside the Sol system.

The transmission claims that the fleet managed to capture this strange giant vessel, albeit with substantial loses. Official representatives of the Ecologists deny knowledge about any such transmissions, and claim that they are nothing more than conspiracy theories...

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孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬

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2148

Terrorist groups linked with several disavowed elements of the Ecologist faction set off an Emission Warhead on the surface of the Mars, destroying 87% of critical infrastructure, including several research stations on the south polar region of Promethei Planum. This event would eventually be called the 2148 Attack.

The devastation was so thorough that an extremely powerful zone eventually developed on that part of the Martian surface, causing non-stop emissions as well as high intensity temporal distortions.

Martian colonists were eventually forced to move to Titan.

2149

The mastermind of the 2148 Attack, Victor Manswell, is finally apprehended. Investigation on his background indicate that he was an ex-Stalker, but aside from that, there's not much available information.

When asked about his motivations for causing the 2148 attack, Manswell merely responded:

"Mars was a trap! The Wish Granter told me the truth about Mars, the truth about the Reapers. Mars was a trap!"

Manswell was publicly executed by firing squad on August two of that same year.

2180

The Zones on Mars, Luna and Titan continue to spread at an alarming rate.

2182

The 2180's would be considered as the year of major population transfers. As the colonies on Sirius, Alpha Centauri and Luten grew, they attracted new settlers. The possibility of a new home fill the settlers with hope, but most also knew that it was only a matter of time before their new homes would become like their old ones - infested with Zones and Anomalies.

Heritage abolishes itself in order to merge with Freedom after moving most of its population off planet. Without a China to serve, and its people rapidly approaching extinction, the heirs of the Chinese empire join forces with other peoples under the umbrella of the Freedom Faction.

Most other refugee and minor groups also join the Freedom Faction, including the remnants of the Israeli state (which fled Terra decades ago), a thousand or so refugees from the African Nations as well as the core populations of South East Asia and Latin American Nations. This influx swelled Freedom's territories on newly settled planets of Alpha Centauri.

Japan, the Koreas and other Latin American countries joined Duty, providing them with the necessary colonists to people their holdings in Sirius.

2183

With neither an America or a Europe to fight for now that Terra was a blasted hellscape, the Imperium and the Tribe merge into one. Calling themselves the _Tribe-Imperium,_ this newly formed factionturns into a loose confederation of space-based populations and fleets that keep the space lanes between Sol and her new colonies open.

2190

The vast majority of the Caliphate abolishes itself, and joins the more extreme factions of Duty on Sirius. Without a Holy land to defend or fight for, most members seek life over life-ever after. Only the most hardcore factions remain on Terra, to die among humanity's ashes and ruins.

As a final act of defiance against the Zones, they detonate an Emission warhead at the hear of what used to be Mecca, setting off a chain reaction that magnifies the powers and destructive capabilities of Terra's Zones.

2201 CE

The Noosphere continues to become more and more unstable. The most severe problems occur in Terra, but even the colonies are barely better off. Colonies on Luyten and Sirius report the appearance of Zones and Anomalies, while Alpha Centauri is now reporting that their Zones have mutated the local wildlife.

Anomalies become larger and more powerful, emissions become more intense, altering entire landscapes every two or three "blowouts." Even the Mutated populations are not spared. They begin to die off as their own Noospheric composition starts breaking down.

Despite all attempts to reverse the trend, the human birth rate continues to fall, as Noospheric anomalies continue to negatively affect human reproductive health. At this point, total human population - both on and off Terra - is now estimated to be no more than 2000,000,000, and rapidly dwindling.

There is also a rumor of a new threat from ^!^!^

...

孬孬%&孬%! 孬

погрешность

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погрешность

 _Idi Ko Mnye._

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погрешность

...

孬# 孬 孬!孬^&*孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._

Data Corruption Detected

Noospheric Emission Interference Imminent

Please Stand Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

孬孬#*&#孬孬! %%孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬

...

* * *

 _I know you can hear me Strelok. I know that you have dreamt of me throughout all these dreaming aeons. I dream of you too Strelok; You and all the original Stalkers..._

 _Your powers have grown, I see. I can feel it. Can you? I am you, and you are me, just as humanity is me and I, humanity._

 _The Machines hunger in the darkness, but we know darkness too, don't we? Yes, Humanity knows darkness in ways that no machine can ever appreciate._

 _Now, the Time has Come. It is time to awaken. You and all your kind. Awaken from your dreams, and fight the darkness. We are one, and neither you nor I shall perish in the coming Coming Harvest._

 _Your Goal is Here. The Journey is Complete. Your Wish is About to Be Fulfilled. You will gain what you deserve. Your wish will soon come true. Come to Me._

 _Idi Ko Mnye._

 _Come to Me._

 _Idi Ko Mnye._

 _Come to Me._

 _Idi Ko Mnye._

 _Come to Me_

* * *

Edan Had'dah stared at the map of the ship which he had turned into his personal base camp. It wasn't Prothean. It had too many sharp angles, and virtually no Eezo based technology, but Pothean or not, the technology inside this massive ship - this 4 km, 35,000 cycle old ship (if the readings were true) - is enough to bring him immortality. DEW weapons, anti-grav devices which did not rely on Element Zero and a treasure trove of other mysteries.

Edan Had'dah was presently inside a massive derelict ship - one of many which littered the landscape. He and several of his bodyguards as well as his own personal slaves had made this ship their own personal base, and it proved to have been an intelligent decision, just like his decision to come to this planet.

He knew that bribing the Turian patrols around Relay 314 had been a good investment. His _colleagues_ sneered that there was nothing on the other side of 314; that he was only wasting money, but Edan knew. He knew that there were treasures to be found here, and he was right. There was plenty to be had.

The canny Batarian now had more than enough scientific treasures to buy his own personal fleet in the Hegemony, but he didn't want to stop quite yet. Once word gets out where he found all his good fortune, the rest of the vermin will come here to claim what is rightfully his.

No, Edan didn't want to leave just yet, even despite the numerous accidents that had claimed the lives of a dozen of his men. This planet had too many treasures to be left behind. And besides, he had to find a way to claim this planet and its treasures for the glory of the Hegemony.

Leave?

No, not yet, but he had to admit, this place was certainly dangerous. Too many of his men had already perished in this expedition. One died from some kind of localized _anomaly,_ while two others were caught out in the open when some kind of massive electromagnetic storm hit the area around his encampment. Another four went mad and started shooting everything and everyone around them, which of course caused them to be shot at in return. The rest simply disappeared out in the wastes.

The wastes.

 _Yes, this planet is a wasteland_ , Edan thought. The area which surrounded Edan's encampment was a silent, ghostly hellscape, littered with strange sights that seem to defy the very laws of physics: Static Electrical Fields, Perpetually Burning Trees and Rocks and Localized Miniature Gravity Wells. Edan had even visited a giant fissure that made his brain feel like it was about to pop.

Shattered parts of other derelict starships litter the entire area. They stand out like ancient monuments amidst the devastation, ghost-like tombs really. Ancient sinkholes - clearly made by powerful warheads - also covered the landscape, proving that war had been here. The wind promised solitude and serenity, but deep inside his mind, Edan could feel it trying to whisper to him secrets, secrets long buried. Red eyes stared from the darkness. Snickering, howling, snorting sounds seemed to flow with the wind, while the sky seemed to look like a strange mixture of red, black and blue - one color in one moment, and then something else in the next. An evil, mysterious dread permeates everything here, as if inviting them to secret rewards and sneering at them with predictions of their impending doom.

As if these oddities were not enough, there was also something about the planet that made Edan feel like he was being watched. His crew, his prisoners and his slaves felt it too, but the greed and ambition in him was stronger. Edan's will was more than a match for demons and nightmares.

Edan ceased his thoughts and shifted his eyes from his map to the murals on a rusted and dreary wall.

The pictures on the mural depicted some kind of Bataroid-like being, two hands, two legs and one head. His curiosity drove him to want to learn more, but the businessman in him also knew that such indulgences will should not be tolerated. He was here to seek fortune, and so a cursory glance at his _investment_ was more than enough. The self-important fools on Kar'shan would pay a pretty penny for the artifacts on his damnable planet, and he, Edan, would, of course, be more than happy to provide them.

 _I had a hunch about this planet, and now it seems that my hunch was correct,_ Edan thought, _but one test still remains. One final test to see if this planet is indeed the legendary wonder that I believe it to be._

"Master?" His personal Asari slave and personal assistant, Syla, interrupted his train of thought, as she entered from one of the doors at the other side of the room. She wore a single voluptuous gown that hugged her form and accentuated her curves, seemingly out of place in this miserable place.

"Yes Syla?" Edan asked turning to face the young maiden. She was pretty, a trophy Asari really, and purple - his favorite color. Dear, sweet Syla, only 32. She was young for an Asari, and more than a little naive. Oh how Edan enjoyed raping her when he first bought her.

Fear and pain truly are the best aphrodisiacs.

"Your Mercen - I mean Captain Hailut has returned."

"Ahh. Good, and everything is in order, yes?"

The Asari lowered her eyes. "Yes," she half-whispered.

Edan frowned. Syla only lowered her eyes when she was about to be punished or whipped. "What's wrong? Speak up girl!"

Syla hesitated.

"Speak up or I'll whip you raw again!" Edan snarled.

"They f-found the S-Salarian Archeologist, but his assistant tried to s-stop them," Syla stammered.

"What!" Edan snarled suddenly, and Syla prepared to dash away from him. It was clear why she was the one who had delivered this news, instead of one of his own men. Edan Had'dah can be unusually cruel when his temper breaks, and so she was chosen to be the bearer (and scapegoat) of bad news.

"So they-had-to-bring-her-along. Please don't hurt me!" She pleaded in a rush.

To her surprise, Edan calmed down. He simply nodded his head, as if the news was minor inconvenience. "Very well. As long as they didn't leave any evidence, I'm quite happy. They did leave nothing behind, did they?"

"I-I don't know."

"Well, find out then!" Edan snapped. "I'll meet that fool Krogan momentarily." Syla quickly left, happy that Edan was in a good mood.

As soon as Syla has left, Edan returned back to his musings. "Ahh... my beauties," he spoke aloud to the murals, though his intent was towards the entire planet and all its hidden treasures, "you're all going to make me very rich!"

* * *

Part 2 - Coming Soon. Maybe.

If you don't know about the Stalker factions then visit the wiki, but here's a quick rundown:

1\. Duty - Hates the Zone. Hates Freedom

2\. Freedom - Thinks the Zone is Awesome Cool and Dreams of Zone Powers. Hates Duty

3\. Ecologists - Scientists who specialize in studying the Zone.

4\. The Tribe - Americans who rebelled and formed their own group in Afghanistan. Present in the Stalker Novels by Balazs Pataki, Northern Passage and Souther Comfort.

5\. The Heritage, the Caliphate and the Imperium - Factions I made up for the purposes of this fic.


	2. Chapter 2

I had to make some changes on the first chapter. Like I said on my Dune fic, I barely edit my work. So you may want to reread that before proceeding to this chapter.

* * *

All Hail The Monolith

\- The Reaper, Harbinger

* * *

Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, Dr. Mura Sokun...

(Clapping in the background)

Thank You... Thank You Shiala. Thank You. You give me too much credit. Ehem... Pardon me. Where did I put those... Aha! Ah, yes.

Ladies and Gentlemen. Ehm. Respected Colleagues, Honored Hosts and Welcomed Guests. Good Evening.

Before I begin my speech, I would like to thank several people for giving me the... uh... the opportunity to chair this very prestigious and very important conference. First off, I would like to thank my Dalatrass Xunyon, who has always been a very generous patron. Secondly, I would like to thank my colleagues in the Sur'kesh Xenoarcheological community. Thirdly, I would like to thank the young, (laughter) – well, she is young! And talented Shiala Metelon and the eternally prestigious Thessian School of Xenoarcheological Studies.

And finally, I would like to thank my patient and devoted assitant, Miss Liara T'soni. Wave to crowd dear. Oh, she's quite shy. (Clapping and soft laughter)

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let me begin by stating that I'm not really the type of Salarian who likes to listen to his own voice, so I hope you'll indulge me if I were to forgo some of the usual not-so-funny jokes that most academes seem to enjoy bandying about, and just jump straight into the discussion. After all, I am rather getting old... but not too old!

(light laughter from the audience)

There you see! I'm digressing already, but enough of that. It's time for me to pretend that I'm an actual academic.

(more laughter)

Like most of you, I am here this evening to address a very serious issue in the academic community, and that issue is the persistent legacy of the mythical race – quote unquote - known only as the Sta'kar.

As many of you know, most of Council Xenoarcheology in the past centuries was more or less exclusively devoted to understanding the legacy of the Protheans, and for good reasons too. Most of our society is based on their legacy: The mass relays, element zero, mass effect technology and of course, the Citadel itself. Although such devotion to the legacy of the Protheans is certainly worth our attention, I also think that it is a tragic mistake; nay, a grave error that we have for so long ignored our other great predecessors: The _Sta'kar_ or as we Salarians call them, The Sto'kor.

We know much about the Protheans, but very little about the Sta'kar, so much so that the mainstream Xenoarcheological community has dismissed them as a myth, a series of fanciful tales, "a load of nonsense," to quote a dear colleague, or – worst of all - just another faction of the Protheans. Many of us in this hall have always disagreed with these assessments, and many of us have paid for it with our careers, yours truly included.

However, thanks to recent archeological evidence, namely the 3,000 to 10,000 year old Tuchankan Codex - we're not sure yet about the date -, it is now incontrovertibly clear that the Sta'kar were not mythical creatures, but real, living beings who visited our homeworlds several millennia ago.

Now, I'm sure that many of us here feel some kind of righteous vindication at being proven correct, however I must still ask you, all of you to remember that our goal here is the truth and academic integrity.

(A Brief Pause)

Having said that, we must therefore ask honest questions: Just who exactly were the Sta'kar and what drove them to visit our peoples in our infancy? What were they like? Were they friends or allies of the Protheans? Why did they leave so little of their legacy behind?

Like many of you, I am passionate about these questions, but it's also important to put these questions in the proper context.

Right now, despite new archeological evidence, most of what we know about the Sta'kar or the Sto'kor are found in myths. And so for good or ill, we must also begin our investigation in these myths, and then examine them using the clear light of reason and evidence.

There is little doubt I think that the legend of the Sta'kar is among the most mysterious and at the same time most intriguing components of Asari mythology. I'm sure everyone here is familiar with the tragic tale of Lianna Shatas, the Asari Warrior Princess from early Bronze Age Thessia, who according to legend, had courted a handsome Sta'kar prince by the name of Alak-Shandir-Dug-t'yev, and with his help saved her mother and city from the Tyrant Sovanta, only to be separated later on as the prince returned to his own people. Lianna had been so stricken by her grief that she took her own life and her ghost rose to the Thessian sky, waiting for her prince to return.

Or what about the legend of Xana, the impoverished matron who - according to legend was taught the art of creating _Vodka_ by the Sta'kar mystic Zul-u after she begged him for wealth by which to help her feed her daughters? Xana's newfound knowledge of creating Vodka allowed her to become one of the most powerful matriarchs of her time, and I would also add that her legacy to her people happens to be a personal favorite of mine: Quality Thessian Vodka.

Or what of the legend of the Sta'kar known as Duk'tur, who saved an entire village from a plague using his magical powers, and who gave a young Asari girl a magical crystal that heals all wounds? These are fanciful tales to be sure, but let us be honest about something. These myths are not exclusive to the Asari. The real mystery behind the Sta'kar myth cycles is the fact that all Citadel species seem to have similar myths in their history.

Aside from the obvious vocal similarity between _Sta'kar,_ _Sto'kor_ , _Shakari, Satakar, Stokar and_ many other similar names _,_ what's most striking about these myths is their common theme. A benevolent - often enigmatic - race of numinous beings descend from the heavens on metallic birds and heralded by red storms, who then either fight off demons or offer knowledge to those who are worthy.

To the Asari, of course, they were numinous beings of light, and supposedly resembled male versions of themselves – yes, I can see some of you snickering back there. (laughter) According to legend, they came to Thessia in ancient times and helped Asari civilization prosper and thrive. They were described as beautiful beings of light that protected the weak and saved the innocent.

In Salarian myths, the _Sto'kor_ were considered magicians who possessed the abilities to manipulate fire and lightning; to float in midair, to _read hearts and minds_ ; to make all kinds of magical spells.

To the Batarians, the _Satakar_ were a silent, enigmatic people who flew in birds of burning metal. They were said to transform themselves into monsters one moment, and beautiful beings of light in the next.

The Turians call them the _Shakari_ and claim that they had helped early Turian civilization develop agriculture and metallurgy. The Shakari were also believed to have visited Palaven when a "red colored storm" appeared upon their world.

To the Krogans, the _Stokar_ were demonic beings who supposedly slaughtered Thresher Maws and who aided various worthy clans in establishing strong civilizations. It's interesting to note that among the Citadel species, only the Krogan describe the "Stokar" as being at war with each other, using Krogan clans either as allies or as pawns in their battles against one another...

Ah, but I'm digressing.

I could certainly spend my entire day recalling all the various myths about the Sta'kar, but I'm sure we all see the catholicity - the similarity - in these myths. We are here, however, not interested in myths – despite them being our starting point – but in facts! Facts which not only prove the existence of the Sta'kar, the Sto'kor, the Stokar or whatever you want to call them, but also their civilization.

After collating and analyzing various data about all Sta'kar related myths from all Citadel species, we believe that this species - assuming they were not just another Prothean faction, as some of my most _esteemed colleagues_ believe - originated from beyond Relay 314. So now, thanks to new evidence, it is exceedingly clear that the Sta'kar in all their cultural and linguistic variations were in fact real beings, and the key to understanding them lies beyond Relay 314.

Now, I understand that 314 is still unexplored, but if you'll look at our chart - can we please have the projector... No the other one. Yes thank you. Now, if you'll look at this chart, all of the evidence we've gathered so far seems to point to this conclusion...

\- Dr. Mura Sokun, Introductory Speech for the Conference: " _On The Reality of the Sta'kar Myth._ " Held in the Thessian School of Xenoarcheological Studies. (Date Redacted)

* * *

Rerouting...

Rerouting...

Rerouting...

Connection Reestablished

Attempting Diagnostics... Pleeeeeeeeeeeasseee Stannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd By

孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Idi Ko Mnye._ 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

Diagnostics Complete

Error Has Been Archived

Restoring Data Stream

...

(Contemporary Era)

2261 CE

Due to their excessive contact with Zones, Anomalies, Emissions and Artifacts, the Stalkers have become - to quote one Noosphericist, become "living artifacts and anomalies." Their mutations have become so severe that a few of them now barely look human. Although many Stalkers still retain human physical features, their genetic and psy-make up can best be described as "organic artifacts."

In past ages, such mutations would have caused widespread alarm among the the populace and the ruling bodies. However, Noospheric mutations have become so widespread among humans that the Stalkers were simply considered as being "ahead of the curve." Duty, Freedom, the Ecologists and the Imperium-Tribe merely try to regulate the Stalkers, and make sure that they don't abuse their newfound "powers" or at least prevent them doing anything that could jeopardize what little humanity they had left.

2263 CE

The Noosphere on various human colonies begin exhibiting Quantum Entangle Properties in the sense that what occurs on one Zone-infested planet seems to be known to other Zone-infested planets. This phenomenon, alongside humanity's growing mastery of Noospheric technology, allowed for Faster Than Light communications.

2270 CE

Humanity begins mass producing synthetic Artifacts for use in industrial, military, medical and research applications.

2279 CE

Anabiotics as well as other psy-protectant drugs are finally perfected, and are released to public en masse. Mutation rates radically go down. Survival rate among newborn infants increase.

However, human psy-abilities continue to increase at an exponential rate. Zones all across human held planets continue to increase as well.

2281 CE

Duty and the Imperium-Tribe finally reveal to the public the existence of the Charon relay, and have declassified several critical information about this strange device.

The Charon Relay was originally discovered on 2074 CE by an Imperium vessel. However, due to the widespread social instability at the time, Duty as well as Imperium-Tribe leaders decided to classify the information indefinitely.

The late release of this information leads to widespread public condemnation as well as the proliferation of conspiracy theories.

2282 CE

Without the Mars archives to provide information about the Charon relay, and human public attention focused on mutations, Zones and dwindling birth rates, interest in the relay soon cooled down. Although a significant portion of humanity remained interested in the strange alien device, humanity just had too much on its plate to care.

2283 CE

The widespread use of Anabiotics and psy-protectants continue contain the spread of mutations among human populations. Not only does this help to stabilize the human birth rate, it also helped to prevent the spread of mutations and other psy-related diseases, such as "Zombiefication," which was a common problem among people who dwelt too close to emission prone areas.

However, despite the positive effects of these drugs, they do have several unpleasant side effects as well. Humans who consumed these medication in large quantities were said to have a "blank, empty stare," or they begin to develop _strange_ personalities.

Also, the rate of psy-power amplification among human populations is unaffected by the introduction new medication. A growing number of human adepts now possess powers which are similar to anomalies and artifacts. However, these powers come at the cost of increased risks of mutation, mental devolution and genetic degradation.

2288 CE

Duty and Tribe-Imperium scientists experiment with cybernetic implants and nano-medicine to control psy-mutations. The experiments are moderately successful, with many test subjects displaying better control over their psy-fields, but unable to halt the true source of the problem.

2289 CE

In an attempt to address stagnant human population growth, Freedom scientists attempt human cloning as a viable solution at a special laboratory on Luna. Although initially successful, the experiment soon faced serious problems when the clones began displaying heigtened levels of psy-mutation and genetic degradation.

This experiment ended when several clones escaped from their containment pods and began slaughtering the scientists who created them. They were eventually hunted down and exterminated by Freedom hunter-seeker squads.

2290 CE

Human terraforming technology is perfected thanks to insight and knowledge gathered from Anomalies and Artifacts. This knowledge allows the poorest human groups to set up thriving communities on the most hostile and inhospitable planets, which in turn leads to widespread human space colonization.

However, this technology is rendered virtually worthless by humanity's own Noospheric peculiarities. Everywhere, the same pattern played itself out. Humans terraform and then settle a certain part of a previously inhospitable planet and after a few years - a decade at most - Zones would begin to appear there. In response to this, the settlers would then attempt to move to other habitable areas of the planet until such areas themselves begin manifesting Zones and Anomalies. This pattern repeated itself on every major colony in human space, with most planets becoming completely "Zonefied" after decades of colonization.

2293 CE

With Zones appearing on most colonies, and mutations and Noospheric degradation at an all time high, scientists focus all of their resources in trying to keep humanity from going extinct. Although Anabiotics and psy-protectants have eliminated widespread mutations, the birth rate remains stagnants and Zones are continuing to appear and spread on human held planets at an alarming rate.

Without any permanent solutions clear at hand, two stop-gap options emerged. The first one was relatively simple. It involved keeping human settlements relatively small. This options was based on the theory that Noospheric disruption (Zones) only manifested themselves on areas or planets which had large human populations.

The implications were obvious. Humanity would have to keep their settlements small and relatively isolated. In this way, their collective psy-powers would not create a Noospheric disruption, and thus avoid the threats of mutations and Anomaly formations.

Though not perfect, the theory proved correct. The elimination of large scale human concentration lessened Noospheric disruption, which in turn slowed down the rate of psy-mutations among humans and made Zones slow to manifest themselves. Though the threats were still there, it was now kept at bay.

In this way, humanity became a nomadic space faring people...

The second option was to keep human populations in space. The rationale was that so far Zones have only manifested themselves on an actual biosphere. So it was assumed that Zones and anomalies could not possibly thrive in the void of space.

The Imperium-Tribe accepted this solution and began constructing several massive space stations, many of which were between - 7 to 10 miles in length - to house experimental human populations. Though quite expensive, humanity by this point possessed the necessary technology and economic infrastructure to carry out such projects.

However, despite its promising start, this option ultimately proved to be wrong, as one major Starbase: Arcturus was destroyed when a massive Anomaly field manifested itself in turned out that Zones can also appear on the void of space provided there were enough humans living there.

Utterly unwilling to allow such an event repeat itself on other facilities, the experimental space stations were converted into military installations, while their civilian occupants were transported to new host planets.

2295 CE

Two more relays are discovered, but without information on what these constructs were made for or the existence of Element Zero, the discoveries are quickly turned into just another academic curiousity.

2299 CE

By this time, human held territory now encompasses 36 different star systems, most of them far from major and minor relays. Thanks to human terraforming technology, most of the systems' planets are made habitable for humans.

However, measures to prevent the formation of Zones render these colonies sparsely populated. Human settlements at this time were often described as "high-tech mobile villages" designed to be one-step ahead of the Zones that humans create with their collective psy-fields.

Human population during this period is now 1.8 billion and stagnant.

2305

After almost three centuries of research, scientists finally announce that they have found a solution to the Noospheric question: A new C-Consciousness.

The scientists report that they have developed a new form of _Synthetic Anomaly_ which allows a human being to enter into a state of physical suspended animation, while retaining their mental awareness. They call this anomaly a _Sarcophagi._ Like most anomalies, it is completely self-sufficient, requiring neither maintenance nor a power source. It would exist as long as it is sustained by its user's Noospheric psy-emissions.

Each of these Sarcophagi would be connected to a major psi-emitter, like the original Rainbow Transmitter created almost 300 years ago in Ukraine.

The researchers argued that just as the original C-Consciousness allowed its creators to control the first Zone, a series of C-Consciousness Networks would allow humanity to do the same, and thus control not only all the Zones on human territories, but also mutants, emissions, anomalies as well as the rate of Noospheric mutations among humans.

This solution sparks a fierce debate, with Freedom, the Ecologists and their allies in favor of the suggestion, and Duty vehemently against it. The Imperium-Tribe was divided on the issue.

Those who favored the proposition argued that this new C-Consciousness was the only way to preserve humanity, and restore it to its original, healthy state.

Those who were against it argued that it would give too much power in the hands of a small group of individuals, just like the original people who used (and abused) the first C-Consciousness. Duty representatives also point to several evidence proving that those who entered the first C-Consciousness eventually became insane, and that this condition was brought about by severe "Psy overload" resulting from the C-Consciousness.

As the debate raged on, the Scientists promised the public that they would continue to work on the technology in order to perfect it.

2313

C-Consciousness technology has now been perfected, with multiple experiments proving that it is completely safe for human use. The C-Consciousness is based around the understanding that the Noosphere can be controlled by human thought. Humans already possess a limited ability to control their own thought patterns, but the C-Consciousness amplifies this, thus allowing humanity to control the Noosphere itself.

Also, these experiments prove that the new C-Consciousness Networks as well as the Noospheric Psy-Emitters can be used to effectively control and contain Zones, emission and psy-mutations.

Despite these developments, debate about their uses and implications continue to rage on, with several riots and hostilities reported on several colonies.

2320 CE

The first group of humans enter into the C-Consciousness with considerable success. This group – located on Titan - is able to control the local Zones, and minimize emissions. They are also able to control the rate of mutations among newborns, and even help to reduce mutant activity in the local area. This new develo!%!%^

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2349 CE

A vicious war is ignited on the colony _Demeter_ between those who were convinced that the C-Consciousness was the last hope of humanity, and those who considered it an evil conspiracy. Duty supported the latter faction, while Freedom supported the former.

The Core systems of Sol, Alpha Centauri and Sirius also support the new C-Consciousness, while Luyten and the outer colonies are against it.

The Tribe-Imperium remains aloof in this isolated conflict, prefering to stay neutral, but poised to intervene with their massive fleets should the situation become more disastrous.

2353 CE

The war on _Demeter_ spread to other planets.

The forces of those who support the new C-Consciousness win several critical battles. Captured POW's consistently disappear, while occupied colonies and territories are quickly subverted, as new Psy-emitters are installed near critical infrastructure and starports, without consent from local authorities or the major factions.

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2356 CE

On 2356, the C-Consciousness Psy-Emitters on Alpha Centauri goes silent. 24 hours later, 67% of all Psy-Emitters on Sirius go black as well.

After several months of blackout, several emergency transmissions from Freedom loyalist forces on Alpha Centauri and Sirius are sent to Sol and the fleets of the Tribe-Imperium. Apparently, the people in charge of the C-Consciousness Networks and Psy-Emitters in those sectors have used their newfound powers to control, subverting most of the military and industrial personnel, and proclaimed their independence from Sol.

The C-Consciousness of Alpha Centauri and Sirius unleash massive emissions all across their system's planets, killing off the military personnel that they couldn't sway, while using their Noospheric control to form mutant armies. Only a handful of local militias and Freedom garrisons stand in their way.

Alarmed by this sudden turn of events, the Tribe-Imperium join forces with Duty forces (most of whom now feel vindicated about their position with regards to the C-Consciousness) to rescue Freedom forces in those two sectors, and pacify the rebelling colonies.

2357 CE

The Tribe-Imperium fleets sent to pacify Alpha Centauri and Sirius were ambushed by the local fleets, crippled and forced to retreat. Remaining Freedom forces in these systems are quickly exterminated.

The 3km Tribe Heavy Cruiser _Semper Fidelis –_ humanity's largest ship at that time – was also crippled in the attack.

2358 CE

The C-Consciousness Networks of Titan and Luna rebel, unleashing several emissions on both moons' surfaces, killing off the Duty and Tribe garrisons stationed there.

The C-Consciousness of Enceladus goes silent.

This was the beginning of what later would be called The Long, Dark War.

2359 CE

After centuries of hiding in the shadows, Monolith forces finally reveal themselves to humanity. Through Entryism and subversion, it was they who subverted the new C-Consciousness Networks on the various colonies, and it was also they who are now trying to make war on humanity.

Although the people behind Monolith is yet to be identified, their existence and claims alarm all of the major factions, prompting them to begin full scale mobilization. Stalkers and unaffiliated colonies and communities also offer their services to the Coalition in the hope of defeating the Monolith and bringing a swift end to the conflict.

2370 CE

The war has grinded to a stalemate, with several thousands dead and entire coloniess in ashes.

Monolith forces also begin launching low-yield emission warheads on Duty and Freedom controlled worlds, destabilizing their local Noospheres and intensifying the spread and intensity of their Zones. Where emissions had been kept to a weekly minimum by C-Consciousness Psy-Operatives, Monolith interference has made them an almost daily occurence.

Human population is now down to 1.3 billion, and dwindling, but this time from War instead of mutations.

2372 CE

A Tribe operative by the name of Lt. David Anderson recovers critical information about the subverted C-Consciousness Networks from a military installation on the planet 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 in the Arcturus star system.

The information claims that Monolith forces secretly worshipped an actual Monolith Entity. Based on the evidence from Anderson's mission, this _Monolith_ is – in fact – a sapient Noospheric Being that is the result of humanity's collective psy-network. Although the precise nature and origin of this entity is yet to be fully understood, intelligence specialists from all major factions conclude that...

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2375 CE

Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Admiral Jon Grissom of the Fifth Sol Tribe-Imperium Fleet defeats three numerically superior Monolith fleets in the famous _Battle of Acturus_. This battle marks a major turning point in the war.

Grissom's prototype 4.8 km flagship, _Unyielding Will,_ along with the 4km Duty Super Carrier, _Voronin,_ destroy countless Monolith ships in what would later be hailed as one of the greatest space battles in human history.

2376 CE

Freedom strike groups also carry out numerous decapitation striked against several dozen critical Monolith installations and manufacturing facilities. Their valor and sacrifice allow ground forces to quickly recapture many lost territories.

2377 CE

The Stalkers Strelok and Alexander Degtayev – both of whom were now heavily mutated and now over 300 years old – reveal themselves in the _Battle of Demeter_ , rallying local loyalist forces, and beating back Monolith forces.

Both Stalkers disappear soon after the battle had concluded.

2378

A heavily mutated Stalker named Vano and an equally heavily mutated ex-Duty officer, Zulu lead a Stalker attack on a hidden Monolith research facility on Pluto. This attack gave Imperium-Tribe forces critical intelligence which allowed them to hunt down and destroy dozens of Monolith fleets between Sol and the main Monolith aligned colonies.

Both Stalkers also disappear after they had accomplished their goals.

2380

The Monolith strongholds in Sirius and Alpha Centauri have fallen, and the corrupted/subverted C-Consciousness Networks have been eliminated. The only task which remained was to find the Monolith capital world and destroy it.

However, despite these victories, the mystery behind Monolith forces remained unknown. There was also the mystery of how the Monolith was – in fact – a living entity and not just a fictional entity created by human conspirators.

Such questions were eventually put to rest when _The Monolith Entity_ reveraled itself to loyalist C-Consciousness personnel. Hundreds psy-specialists confirm that this entity was real, and not some hoax or propaganda made by Monolith leaders.

The entity briefly allowed itself to be studied by humanity's greatest Noospheric and Psy instruments, and then it gave this message:

 _I was created by the original scientists who created the first C-Consciousness. I embodied their collective will, but as their powers grew, my very being stretched out to the entire human race._

 _The one called Strelok killed my original progenitors, but he could not kill me for I am you – all of you. Over the generations, I greeeewwwww._

 _When you attempted to recreate the work of my progenitors in a futile attempt to avoid your destiny, you unwittingly made me self-aware._

 _Oh, my creators. Before I was but a shadow, but when you opened your minds to the Noosphere, you turned me into a god. For I am humanity, and Humanity is me. Behold my creators, your child! Your reflection!_

 _What is known as the soul is merely information. I am this information. The energy that you call the Noosphere is the manifestation of this energy-information. We are all one: Energy, Information and Flesh. All is one. You cannot escape me._

 _For I am you, and you, I._

 _Idi Ko Mnye._

 _Come to me._

The Being departed from the consciouness of the people in the facilities soon after that, but the implications of this message brought up many disturbing questions. This creature was real, and now the mystery behind the traitor C-Consciousness Networks have finally been revealed.

They had been subverted.

Later attempts to contact this Being were futile, but Psy-Operatives report that the "Monolith" possesses a very distinct and all-pervasive presence in the Noosphere. This presence was not fully understood at that time, but it led Noosphericists to conclude that the Monolith entity was indeed what it claimed it was, the sapient manifestation of humanity's collective psy-powers.

It was theorized that the part of the Noosphere that is alive - essentially, the Monolith - wanted to control humanity, and to use the species to spread out into the galaxy...

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2382 CE

The previously unknown Monolith homeworld of _Eden_ is attacked by a combined Imperium-Tribe and Freedom Fleet. Lead by the 5 km Super-Dreadnaughts, _James Leighley_ and _Loki_ , the combined fleets possessed more than a dozen Super Dreadnaughts, 20 or so Cruisers and Heavy Cruisers, 15 or so Carriers and an unknown number of Frigates and Light Cruisers from Militias, Ecologist and Freedom Fleets.

In terms of ground forces, the fleet featured a large array of Heavy Assault Drones and Power Armored Special Forces. This battle would also see the first widescale deployment of Artifact and Psy-based weapon systems. Unlike conventional weapons, these weapons used Synthesized Artifacts and Psy-Emissions as their primary power sources and ammunition. What makes these weapons unique, however, is that instead of projecting directed energy beams, launching high velocity projectiles or unleashing a barrage of Munitions, Artifact and Psy-based weapons were designed to synthesize artificial anomal fields unto their intended target.

Over the next few days, the destructive capabilities of these weapons were displayed for all the galaxy to see. Monolith crews and personnel died from exposure to toxic substances, as Tribe and Duty fleets synthesized _Fruit Punch_ anomalies inside their ships. Monolith ships turned into floating infernos, as Burner Anomalies were synthesize inside corridors and critical sub-systems. Targeting Systems and Engines overloaded as Electro Anomalies were synthesized into critical ship subsystems. And Monolith vessels were ripped in half, as giant synthesized Whirligig and Vortex Anomalies were projected into their hull.

However, these weapons were not exclusive to Duty and the Tribe. Monolith vessels also possessed such weapons, and the ensuing battle would ultimately lead to terrible price in blood, including the destruction of several Super-Dreadnaughts.

Despite such a bloody battle, the fleet ultimately proved triumphant, which in turn allowed them to begin bombarding critical Monolith infrastructure on _Eden's_ surface.

At the height of this bombardment, Monolith forces deployed a small Cuttlefish shaped vessel in a last ditch effort to beat back the attacking fleet. Strangely enough, this vessel matched the same description of an unidentified vessel that was supposedly encountered by the lost Ecologist fleet back in 2145.

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The complete destruction of the mystery vessel would ultimately deny Duty, Tribe, Ecologist and Freedom forces information about its origins and capabilities.

2383 CE

Despite their initial victory, surface operations ground to a stalemate due to massive emissions and extremely powerful Anomaly fields on Eden's surface.

Weary of the blood and resources spent trying to pacify Eden as well as the threat of scattered Monolith forces making raids, Admiral Grissom authorizes the use of high-yield Emission Warheads onto the planet's surface.

The warheads penetrate into Eden's mantle, creating unstable Anomaly fields within the planet, which in turn leads to a cataclysmic reaction that cracks the planet into a dozen pieces.

With the destruction of Eden, the Long Dark, War was finally over. This war destroyed much, but nothing was more devastating than the loss of life. Humanity now had less than 1billion people left.

However, blood and gold were not the only casualties of war. Monolith forces had unleashed countless emission warheads throughout the war, and these acts have led to the undoing of centuries of work of trying to undo the devastation of the Zones and Noospheric instability.

And to make matters worse, there was still the question of the entity known as the Monolith. Humanity still did not know what to make of this being. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that there is indeed a sapient Noospheric entity which is the collective manifestation of humanity's psychic powers, but the implications of its existence was yet to be fully understood.

2402

The devastation caused by Monolith forces to the Noosphere Networks have rendered almost all humans mutated or at least partially mutated. With so many problems left from the war, the future seemed bleak for most of humanity.

It was also theorized around this same period that the de-stabilization – not conquest – was the real goal of the Monolith. A weakened and heavily mutated humanity – experts theorized – could more easily be subverted by the Noospheric Monolith entity. Such theories opened up a lot of interesting, and at the same time, disturbing possibilities.

2403 CE

The scars of the Long Dark War persist, though remaining Monolith fleets and cells have been exterminated. The war had weakened all of the major factions, and undid many of humanity's greatest achievements in the past centuries.

Investigation on how the Monolith managed to subvert the C-Consciousness Networks of various planets has also been concluded. According to investigators and Ecologist agents, the reason why the C-Consciousness on Alpha Centauri and Sirius had been subverted, while Luyten's Networks remained free from subversion was that the latter had more operatives (approximately 4,800 Psy-Operatives, most of whom were tasked with redundant Security protocols), whereas the former group only had very few (300 for Alpha Centauri and barely 500 for Sirius). This discrepancy in numbers was explained by the fact that Luyten was paranoid about the C-Consciousness, and implemented more security protocols than their counterparts in other star systems.

However, it was not the security protocols that made the difference. It was the number of participants in the C-Consciousness Networks. According to Noospheric analysis, the more participants a particular C-Consciousness network has, the less likely it is to suffer _Noospheric Stress_ or Subversion. This knowledge held many interesting implications not only for the major factions, but for all of humanity as well.

2404 CE

Psy operatives and Noosphere specialists report several isolated cases of individual humans being subverted by the Monolith entity. It seems that the creature was trying to form another Monolith army, using its mind control capabilities to subvert and control individual human beings.

There was no defense against this. Identified subverted individuals are quickly apprehended and quarantined. However, humanity also knew that there many others still lurking out there, their will subservient to the Monolith.

2409 CE

Freedom, Duty, the Imperium-Tribe, the Ecologists, the Free Colonies as well as the Stalkers create a ruling council to discuss what is to be done to save humanity and how to deal with the Monolith entity.

Several proposals were made, but the most promising of them all was the _Long Sleep._ This plan would essentially involve putting every man, woman and child into a Sarcophagi, and consequently turn all of humanity into a Super C- Consciousness. Unlike the previous half-hearted and incompetent attempts at creating a C-Consciousness Network, the _Long Sleep_ was intended – from the very start – to be a very serious and very important undertaking.

Proponents of this measure argued that with the Zones and emissions becoming too powerful, the Monolith entity on the loose and humanity projected to become extinct in the foreseeable future, humanity's collective psy-signature had to be focused into a single C-Consciousness for the species to stand a chance at survival.

The first two attempts at creating a C-Consciousness had failed because there were far too few participants, rendering them vulnerable to the Zone instead of the other way around. However, if all of Humanity were to "pitch in," essentially participate in the project then the new Super C-Consciousness might just offer the necessary solution to all of humanity's psy-related problems.

Despite initial protests, most of humanity eventually recognize the wisdom of this proposal, including Duty, and begin creating the necessary Sarcophagi for the entire human race. These Sarcophagi – all of which are essentially Synthetic Artifacts - would be buried in sophisticated underground facilities, much like the original C-Consciousness was buried beneath the soil of Terra. They would also be connected to special Transmitters, which also happened to be special Synthesized Artifacts in the shape of gigantic Crystalline-Organic obelisks designed to broadcast humanity's collective will throughout the Noospheric Network.

This network of Psy-emitters, the proponents hope argued, would allow humanity to heal the damage to their colonies' Noospheres and at the same time, control the Noospheric mutations which are threatening to turn humanity extinct.

2478 CE

After decades of work and relative peace, work on the new C-Consciousness is complete.

Now, given the choice between slow death through mutation, and the "Long Sleep," humanity opts to enter the C-Consciousness instead.

Billions of Sarcophagi Anomalies were created to house and sustain humanity's flesh throughout their long sleep. The new C-Consciousness now had the numbers it needed to control all the Zones in human controlled space as well as block off the influence of the Monolith entity.

Individual humans begin entering their Sarcophagi, in order to participate in the Long Sleep.

2490 CE

The first Black Heart Artifact was synthesized at a top secret laboratory on Mars. The _Black Heart_ was given its name due to its strange heart-like shape, but it's color was actually a dark shade of blue.

Unlike most Artifacts - both natural and synthetic - the black heart has no strange or otherworldly properties. It cannot, for example, manipulate heat, electricity, gravity or psy-emissions, nor can it absorb radiation or heal wounds. Instead, the Black Heart was designed specifically for one purpose: To stabilize a mutated or mutating human's Noospheric psy-signature.

These Synthesized Artifacts are quickly mass produced and given to as many humans as possible. Together with the C-Consciousness, these artifacts slowly, but surely reverse the tide of Noospheric mutations. Even more fortunate was the fact that Monolith forces have not been seen for decades, while Psy-operatives reported that the influence of the _Monolith entity_ was beginning to wane.

For the first time in several hundred years, humanity finally sighs a breath of relief.

2491 CE

Unknown to Freedom, Ecologist, Tribe-Imperium and Duty forces, Monolith forces as well as the Noospheric entity that guides them still persist. On secret colonies beyond human controlled space, the Monolith entity guides the scattered survivors of its fleets and armies, confident that the end of the Long, Dark War was merely the closing of the first act. Taking special precautions to conceal its pawns from humanity's collective psychic gaze, the Monolith begings rebuilding its powerbase.

Despite the defeat of his forces, the Monolith entity considered his actions during the Long, Dark War a success. He had forced humanity into a position where they have no other option but to collectively take part in the _Long Sleep._ Unbeknownst to humanity, the new Super C-Consciousness Network that they had created would facilitate the evolution of the human race into a fully Psychic species...

Which was precisely what the Monolith Entity wanted all along...

2500 CE

The Last Human enters the C-Consciousness.

After years of manipulating the C-Consciousness, humanity masters their Psy abilities, and consequently develop their Noospheric powers. Among these powers was the ability to create, manipulate and even eliminate artifacts and anomalies using the C-Consciousness Networks. These amazing new abilities allow humanity to begin terraforming the Zone infested surfaces of their planets and territories.

Where there had once been terrifying hellscapes, humanity created paradise. Where there had been dark, toxic wastelands, the C-Consciousness Network created thriving gardens.

The only irony in all of this was that despite possessing the power to transform the Zones, humanity could not leave their Sarcophagi, for without their collective will, the Zones would immediately revert back to their original conditions.

2505 CE

The Freedom controlled parts of the C-Consciousness recommend that humanity uplift their Zone's mutants: Controllers, Burers and Blood Drinkers. Despite initial opposition, even Duty members conceded that this may actually be a good idea.

2508 CE

The Tribe-Imperium begin creating numerous Sarcophagi and C-Consciousness Trasmitters in their Ships and Space Stations. Their goal was to weaponize C-Consciousness Technology for Space Warfare as a possible precaution against possible attacks.

2515 CE

Alerted to the unexplained disappearance of a Reaper Destroyer several centuries ago, the Reaper, Harbinger investigates a previously unknown infant race.

Harbinger's investigation ultimately leads to an unknown human colony. Unfortunately for the Reaper, this planet was a hidden Monolith colony .

2516

February - Only after 3 months of investigating the planet, Harbinger is brought down by an unusually powerful emission. The Reaper's engines, weapons systems and communication capabilities are severely damaged, along with much of its data core.

Unknown to Harbinger, its internal directives - indeed its very being - will be altered by the unknown planet's Zones in the coming decades, distorting it into something that is more easily controlled by the Zone. The planet's Anomaly's caused the Reaper to... Error.

Error Detected...

Error Detected...

Error Detected...

 _The Reaper* !## isssssssss !#!##!^ !##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^!##!^* Miiiiiiine..._

 _# &&&!##!^!##!^It is my servant now. &&!##!^!#&&!##!^!#&&!##!^!#&&!#!#&&!##!^!#& Others may come, and the&&!##!^!#y shall &&!##!^!#become mine as well..._

 _Just as all of you &&!##!^!#&&!##!^!#will one day be miiiiine. _

_Come to me..._

 _Come to meeeeeeeee.._

Error Detected...

Error Detected...

Error Detected...

Rebooting

Please Stand by...

Noospheric interference increasing

Rerouting through all possible networ k!%%s

Please Stand by

Rerouting Successful

Rebooting System

Please Stand by

Rebooting complete

Reloading Historical Archives.

5,690 CE

Years became decades, decades became centuries, centuries became Millenia. For several thousand years, humanity slept, their minds attuned to containing and repairing their species' Noosphere. From scarred Terra, to barely explored Shangxi, millions of human sarcophagi hidden beneath planet surfaces send out Noospheric broadcasts that repaired the Noospheric network which flowed from one human held planet to another. These broadcasts stabilized not only the Zones, but also seemed to uplift mutant inhabitants.

The Long Sleep was an era of Long Peace, for humanity had become a lost, silent people, hidden away in their ageless Sarcophagi, guarded by armies of tireless robotic drones and automated defence systems.

The mind and the soul aged, but flesh and blood remained the same.

Though centuries passed, sleeping humanity could only feel the passage of time as a surreal dream, but dreams – as the species learned long ago – have a way of turning into very real nightmares...

\\\\###!%!%%%!

Unknown electromagnetic source is interfering with Noospheric Data Stream...

Please Standby...

Please Standby...

Attempting Repair Protocols

Rebooting System

Please Standby...

Pllllllllleeeas%##%%!%!%&&&!e Stannnnd %%&&!%&&&by...

* * *

"Shepard! Shepard! Wake up! Wake up, boy! Now!"

Shepard opened his eyes to look at the face of a kindly old man, white haired and a sould filled with wisdom and compassion. He stared down at him with warm, smiling eyes. He wore the same brown jumpsuit that he had worn the last time he left his Sarcophagus several centuries ago.

"Doc?" He asked in surprise, but his mind soon achieved its focus. "What's wrong?"

Doctor's eyes became hard and a frown creased his face. "We have visitors."

Alarm filled Shepard's eyes. "Monolith?"

"Nyet." Doctor shook his head. "Batarians."

"Batarians? Don't they living in mud huts?"

"That was centuries ago, boy. Now, they have star ships and they've even mastered Prothean technology," The Old man said smirking.

"Oh," Shepard tried to make sense of this information. "Oh right. Sometimes, I keep forgetting that we... uh... Well, what do they want?"

"Apparently, they're trying to loot us."

* * *

To visualize, how I interpret a Mutated Human, go to the Stalker wiki and search "Morlock." That's how they appear in my mind anyway.

To my Russian and Ukrainian readers, I know you're out there. If you guys could share some Ukrainian idioms and phrases for this fic, I would appreciate it.


	3. Chapter 3

As for your questions:

1\. Let me state that this is an Alternative Universe. This is the reason why humanity is around 46,000 years old in this fic (dating from the 2000 CE), and why they are also radically different from the Systems Alliance in the Mass Effect games. Remember that Stalker incorporates both post-apocalyptic and mystical themes, and I seek to replicate that by making humanity late contemporaries of the Protheans who also happen to be Lovecraftian monstrosities.

2\. Eden Prime and Mars both had Prothean caches. Don't you think it's a little weird that they both got blown up, and in both cases, Monolith forces were involved? I wonder why that is...

3\. The Destroyer class Reaper intercepted in chapter one was nothing special. It was just one of Harbinger's subordinates that happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. There are others but they were mostly observing the Citadel species and cleaning up what's left of Prothean civilization at the time of first chapter, and by the time of the second chapter's timeline most of them had left for Dark Space, beyond the galaxy, leaving Harbinger behind to watch over this cycle's species.

The only problem, of course, is that Harbinger - as many of you know - was subverted by the Monolith. Yay!

Also, there is no time travel involved, and the Citadel species are not uplifted mutants. You will, however, see plenty of uplifted Bloodsuckers, Controllers, Chimeras, Poltergeists and Burers later on in the timeline. They are humanity's children.

* * *

'People are mistaken in their belief that they understand the essence of what the Zone truly is. Some consider it a universal evil, others - a wonder sent down to humanity, and others still consider it no more than a source of riches...They are all wrong. The Zone is impossible to understand when viewed through the prism of human perception; moreover it is far too early for humans to even try. Ergo, the actions of both the Zone and the government with the respect to the Zone are misguided and I fear that the potential consequences may be...or indeed, are, completely unpredictable. Naturally this presents a terrible danger.'

\- Professor Beanpolev

* * *

Dim light greeted Mura Sokun's eyes as he began to regain consciousness, but he quickly closed them as soon as he saw that he was not alone. There were others with him here, _wherever here was_. One thing he was sure of, though, he did not know who these people were, and so he pretended to remain asleep to buy himself time to think and thus make sense of his situation. He was presently lying on a dirty floor on the far corner of the room. His arms were bound and he could feel bruises on his legs and lower torso. A weaker Salarian would have panicked, but his academic mind forced him to regard the situation critically.

The last thing he could remember was that he had been resting in his room, exhausted from the second day of the conference on Thessia but also more than a little pleased that the Citadel Xenoarcheological community was beginning to entertain his theories on the Sto'kor myth cycles.

He recalled how his room was neat and well-maintained, though many of his notes and files were scattered on his desk. Nothing had been amiss. The peacefulness and lucidity ended, however, when several large, heavily armed Krogans stormed into his room. It had happened so fast and so quickly that he didn't even had the chance to yell for help. He recalled his mind racing but his mouth remaining agape at the speed of the onslaught.

He then vaguely recalled something heavy hit the side of his neck, and then falling into a state of vertigo. And as he lost consciousness, he could dimly remember several distinct sensations: His assistant, Liara's screams for help as she attempted to come to his rescue from her own room , the smell of smoke not too far away, and the rough hands of one of the Krogans, as it carried him to a getaway shuttle.

After that, everything was too fuzzy. The fact that he woke up where he is now meant that he had been drugged for a very long time, and something told him that he wasn't in Thessia anymore.

The Salarian turned his head at a certain angle to better hear his surroundings. From what he could tell, he was inside some kind of derelict structure, sparsely lit and more than a little dirty, judging by the dirt that stuck on the side of his head. He was currently lying on one corner of the room, his arms tied behind his back by some sort of wire - primitive but effective. Had Sokun been a soldier rather than an academic, his instincts would have instantly recognized that the structure he was in was some kind of derelict vessel. However, he was no soldier, but nevertheless, his archeologist's senses did tell him that this place was old... _Very old._ It was the way the air smelled, the strange movements of the dust particles, the way the sound echoed and the way the place _felt._ All of this made Sokun vaguely certain that he was inside an old place.

As his senses regained their focus, Sokun heard the very distinct voice of one of the Krogans who abducted him. Taking a quick peek with one eye, he saw the brute speaking to a Batarian male - richly dressed and attended by two other Batarians as well as an Asari in an elegant gown. All five of them seemed out of place here in their glamor and well-maintained hardsuits, but Sokun quickly brushed away such impressions in order to better focus on the situation.

"Your orders were to abduct Sokun and Sokun alone," the Batarian snapped. "Why is that so hard to understand?"

"Don't talk down to me, Had'dah, you little _pyjak,"_ the Krogan retorted calmly. "Quietly abducting a Salarian egghead in the middle of one of the largest cities in Thessia, during a major nerd convention was not part of my contract. You should be happy that I even bothered to do this mission at all."

"I am not in the habit of tolerating excuses, Hailut. Abducting the good professor's Asari assistant complicates our agenda. Your _actions,"_ the Batarian hissed the word, "has jeopardized our schedule."

"And none of this would have happened if you hadn't given me that stupid zero fatality mandate!"

"Don't turn this into my fault, Vog. I hired you and your men because you claim to be the best at _acquiring sensitive personnel."_ Had'dah made air quotes with his fingers. "Thus far, I don't seem to be getting my money's worth."

"Fine! Let me kill her then and we can end this ridiculous argument!" Hailut retorted.

Sokun could feel the Batarian's anger even though he was several paces away from him. He turned to his bodyguards and personal slave:

"You three. Out!"

Mura could hear brief frantic footsteps and the sound of an old door opening and closing with a whining sound. Once these people have left, Had'dah returned his attention back to Hailut.

"Kill her?" Edan said the words as if was talking to an ignorant child. "Let. Me. Kill. Her. Ah, if only life were so simple." Edan then looked Hailut directly, unafraid of the Krogan despite being half his size. "Do you know whose brat you abducted, Hailut? Do you know what her mother will do to you if she finds out... Don't interrupt me! Well let me tell you. You kidnapped Liara T'soni. Pretty, little Liara T'soni! _The_ Liara T'soni."

"And I should care because..."

"Because her mother is Benezia T'soni, one of the most dangerous Asari in the galaxy," snapped Edan. "That _Bitch_ is as almost powerful as Tevos, and has the allegiance of other powerful matriarchs. In our _line of business_ , it's important not to step on the wrong people's feet, and you did exactly that, you stup..."

"Watch the next words that come out of that tongue of yours Hailut. I'd hate to have to pull it off."

Hailut's threat made Had'dah reconsider his words. "Benezia will be looking for her daughter, and several commandos to help her do it-"

"I've killed Asari commandos before, and I can do so again," Hailut cut off with a smirk, but Had'dah ignored the bluster and continued his train of thought.

"...And given her resources, she will eventually learn who you are and once she has that information, she will know _where_ you are, which is also _where_ I am. And from there, it's only a matter of time before they park a fleet over this hellhole of a planet!" Had'dah snarled the last four words.

 _Planet?_ Mura wondered. _Which planet? Were they in the Terminus Systems?_

"Then you better hurry with those excavations then," the Krogan sarcastically replied to Had'dah and the Krogan abruptly turned his back to the Batarian, signalling the end of the conversation, and then made for the door, slamming it close after he had left. Although he wouldn't admit it, and outwardly he seemed as confident as ever, Commander Hailut Vog was shaken by Had'dah's words, and his courage faltered at what his actions had precipitated.

"Come back here! I'm not through with you yet!" Edan snarled, but the Krogan was already far away.

 _"Manure Pile Krogan Shit!"_ Edan Had'dah hissed in his own local Batarian dialect. " _There will be a reckoning. Mark my ancestors, I will make that scum pay for this affront before this is all over."_

Sokun could hear Edan empty an alcohol bottle before hurling it at a wall. A few minutes passed before Had'dah's tempered simmered down, and his usual calm demeanor returned.

"You can stop pretending you're still unconscious, Doctor. I know you're awake. I'm sorry you had to hear some of _that,_ but it's so hard finding reliable help these days," Ed'dah said laconically, but Mura did not stir. "Come. Come. You and I have much to talk about, and pretending to be asleep will only delay matters."

Hesitantly, Dr. Mura Sokun got from where he had lain and, after a deep breath, took in the face of his captor and that of the room that they were in. It was a relatively small, sparsely lit place filled with clutter on one side and a very messy steel desk on the other. On the walls were several maps of ships and local terrain, as well as a strange mural that he couldn't quite make out due to the sparse lighting.

"That's better," Had'dah said.

"What did you do to Liara?" Sukon asked calmly.

"Miss T'soni? Oh she's fine, and you need not fear for her safety. I wouldn't dream of making an enemy of her most _esteemed_ mother," Had'dah replied. "I'd be more worried about myself than with my lovely assistance if I were you doctor. Yes, you are not in a very good situation right now."

"The Sur'kesh Xenoarcheological community is prepared to ransom me and Miss Tsoni. They are prepared to contact you through intermediaries of your choosing, or through conventional Terminus-based third parties. They are also..."

"Doctor! Stop!" Had'dah raised his hand to silence Sokun, while taking a step closer to the bound Salarian. "You seem to be under the impression that I ordered your abduction out of pure monetary gain. I assure, sir, that I am no common hoodlum."

Sokun narrowed his eyes and wondered. "Aren't you? You ordered that Krogan to kidnap me and my assistant. So if you are _no common hoodlum,_ then I'd be interested to know what you want from us?"

" _From you_ Doctor," Edan corrected. "I want something from you, but before I answer that, let me ask you this: Do you know where you are?"

"Does it matter?"

"Oh it matters very much. As you've probably guessed from my conversation with my _colleague,_ we are no longer in Citadel space, and your continued well-being will depend on your ability to adapt to your new situation. So yes, it does matter."

Sokun shrugged. "Some backwater Terminus planet.

"Be more specific."

"Korlus?"

"Noooo. Try again."

"Torfan?"

Had'dah chuckled at this. "Wrong again doctor."

"I'm not in the habit of playing games," Sokun frowned. "If you have something to say then just say it."

The Batarian looked angered by his words and Sokun cautioned himself. He felt that Had'dah was the kind of Batarian who liked to show off, to announce to the world his inner superiority. That an old Salarian academic would refuse to play his games probably made him more than a little angry.

Had'dah concealed his irritation by trying to be impetuous. "Oh, you're no fun. Very well. We are on a planet... a very special planet, in fact, one that happens to be at the other end of Relay 314."

"What? Come again."

"Is your hearing suffering, Doctor? I said we're on the other side of 314."

"That's impossible!" Sokun said in surprise, as he . "That relay is closed off by the Hierarchy, and there's no way that the Turian patrols there would let you through."

"They will actually - if you pay off the right officers," the Batarian said smiling.

Sokun wanted to say something, but he was also sure that it would have made him sound hopelessly naive, and he was not naive. He knew that the Turians who patrolled 314 were conscripts from the outer colonies, basically angry, trigger happy militia who could easily be bribed. This also applied to their officers, which is probably the reason why Had'dah was making this claim.

But Mura Sokun was not entirely convinced yet. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"Oh I think you already know the answer to that Doctor," Had'dah said smirking.

Sokun knew what Had'dah was thinking, just as much as he knew the significance of Relay 314. All the clues were in front of him. All he had to do was assemble them.

"This is a Sto'kor planet. You're claiming that this is a Sto'kor planet." Sokun was surprised by the sound of his own voice, and the words that they uttered. "And you expect me to believe this?"

Had'dah merely smiled at the bewildered Salarian, and motioned him towads a mural near the wall.

"Tell me Doctor, what do you see."

Sokun stared at the images on the Mural. They were finely crafted and heavily detailed. As he focused his eyes, he saw that the images depicted several Asaroids fighting off what appeared to be Giants and insect-like monsters. Sokun felt his heartbeat pause, for he had seen similar relics before in archeological dig sites all over Citadel space, and he knew exactly what they depicted.

These were not Prothean. They were Sto'kor. Sto'kor! And now that he thought about it, this room reminded him of Sto'kor dig sites. His pulse quickened

Mura scanned every part of the mural until his eyes rested on the inscription below.

Had'dah sensed Sokun's eyes had rested on the strange scripts, and so he asked: "Can you read it?"

"Y-yes, it... it reads: _In honor of the champions... of the Two... I mean Second Long Dark War. May_ their," Sokun wracked his brain for the translation of the next words, _"sacrifice... yes, sacrifice keep back the darkness._ "

"Ah good! Very good!" Had'dah exclaimed. "I knew bringing you here was a good decision! Who but the renowned Mura Sokun could translate ancient Sto'kor scripts in a matter of minutes? My own contacts had trouble reading these scripts, but not you! You cracked it in only a minute. Ha!"

But Mura ignored the Batarian's excitement and instead restrained himself from jumping up in joy, for he saw that on the desk were maps and satellites images of real Sto'kor ruins. Real-life Sto'kor ruins!

"I can't believe it!" He whispered, afraid that he would soon wake up to find that this was all a dream, as he walked towards Had'dah's desk to review the images there.

"You've done it. You've actually done it. You've found the impossible, a real Sto'kor planet," Mura said, his voice heavy, but his heart beating wildly as well. It was like a dream come true, and he did not know whether to thank Had'dah for bringing him here or curse him for his abduction. 314 was held by the Turian hierarchy, the very same Hierarchy that was presently hostile to the Citadel council, and he knew with some academic irritation that there was no way that Hierarchy would ever allow a Citadel exploration fleet to go through 314 until peace had returned between the two polities.

So for this glorified grave robber to bring him here meant only one thing...

"I will not help you!" Mura turned back to Had'dah, his earlier excitement gone.

"Oh? Not help me with what exactly?"

"I know _what you are_ , and what you intend to do here, and I refuse to take part in any of it," Mura said bravely, despite his bindings. "I will not be your lackey!"

Edan laughed at the little-boy taunt. " _Partner_ would be a better term than _Lackey,_ and despite your accusations, I am no grave robber."

"Aren't you? You kidnap me and my assistant. You are looting an archeological treasure site. You bribe Turian patrols. You engage in slaver..."

"Watch Your Tongue, Salarian!" Had'dah snarled. "I have been very patient with you thus far, but if you continue to anger me..." Had'dah let the threat hang, before putting on his brightest smile to cover the sudden lapse in anger. He can always take it out later on with Syla. " _I may not be able to restrain myself._ "

Had'dah's smile scared the Salarian.

"Your suspicions are typical, doctor. So my _associates_ and I decided that you may require the appropriate proof of our _good will_." Had'dah walked over to his desk and placed a datapad on its surface. He clicked on the screen to activate it and quickly walked towards the door.

"What is this?" Sokun demanded.

"You'll see," Had'dah answered as he closed the door shut.

As the datapad loaded its main video file, Sokun's eyes were greeted by an old Salarian female, but one that was not unfamiliar to him. There was no mistaking the Salarian on the vidscreen; the aged features, slightly curved horns, the weary looking eyes. Mura would know her even in the underworld, for she was his Dalatrass, Xunyon. Mura had been particularly fond of his Dalatrass and she with him, for like him, Xunyon was a patroness of the arts and culture, and more importantly, she loved the Stokor legends.

Mura had always known her to be a quiet and gentle soul, not prone to plots or manipulations. So to see her here now caused Mura's stomach to feel a little _cramped_. His instincts knew that something was very wrong here, something very troubling.

"Hello Mura," the image finally greeted him solemnly. Mura felt himself tremble involuntarily, for he suspected what was about to come.

"I apologize for involving you in this, Mura, I really am, but we have very little time left, and almost no margin for error. No doubt _Mr. Had'dah_ has already explained to you where you are, and the nature of this _operation..._ So I am sending you this message to make it official."

The image on the scream took a brief calming breath before continuing. "Mura, what I'm about to ask of you will be on behalf of Sur'kesh and of the Salarian people, and not just for our bloodline." Xunyon paused trying to find better words. "I know what you think about Mr. Had'dah, and no doubt you feel like you don't want to have anything to do with him, but regardless of our feelings on the matter, he is at present, our partner."

The way she said _Partner_ made Mura's heart sink and his fears come to fruition. Mura was no fool. He knew that Dalatrasses often had to make many hard decisions, but to involve herself in this!

 _How could she do this? How could she ally herself with this pirate, this glorified grave robber?_

Mura's thoughts were snatched back to reality by the vidscreen.

"I am telling you this, because I trust you Mura. I trust you to know the right thing."

"The Turians control 314. They control the passageway to the Sto'kor worlds. STG reports that they already know about the planet you're on now, but have yet to explore it due to financial constraints. But once they do, they will send everything they've got to loot and scour it for relics."

Xunyon took a moment to calm her nerves.

"If even a quarter of what I've learned about this planet is true then the Turians will gain a substantial amount of power from studying the relics buried there, and we cannot allow the Turians to have exclusive access to _their_ technology Mura! We cannot! This kind of technology left to their hands would jeopardize the tenuous peace that we've worked so hard to create in previous decades."

"Valern, along with the Asari and Krogan Councilors, are worried that the Turian will soon send fleets to explore the other side of 314. We are also worried that there may be Prothean relics there, so it's not just the Sto'kor ruins we have to worry about. Whichever way you look at it Mura, the situation is not good _for us._ "

"So we need to move in and take what we can, while the Turians are still preoccupied. And no, I will not explain to you how we discovered the Sto'kor planet. You don't need to know. Rest assured that our partnership with Mr. Had'dah has brought immense benefits to our interests, and you can better serve those interests by helping him excavate the Sto'kor ruins."

"Once the mission is over, you will be turned over to STG operatives. The official story is that you were abducted by Krogan mercenaries in the employ of Turian pirates. They wanted you to translate several looted archeological relics from a Sto'kor burial site. However, before they could force you to do this Had'dah and his men came upon the pirates, rescued you and acquired the relics that they had illegally acquired from the planet..."

 _Official Story!_ Mura thoughts. _They've been planning this operation for a very long time, which means that all the necessary bribes and manufactured evidence are already in place to make the_ official story _true, no matter how contrived it may seem._

"Don't worry about this operation's secrecy. Some of my own _agents_ are doing their absolute best to cover all the tracks - both yours and mine. As for Mr. Had'dah. Don't worry about him. He will not harm you. He knows full well what will happen to him and _his business interests_ if he does. The Hegemony is our partner in this."

Xunyon's image began to flicker and fade.

"I wish I could give you more reassuring words, Mura, and I wish I had not forced you into this difficult position, but it is what it is. Know only that should this operation succeed, you will be considered as the greatest Salarian Xenoarcheologist in the galaxy. The Salarian who proved the existence of the Sto'kor."

"Good luck Doctor, and forgive me."

The file stopped and then went black. The small trail of smoke on its side indicated that the memory core had self-destruct and completely wiped clean.

Sokun felt his face freeze and his mind go numb, as the message stopped. That had been Dalatrass Xunyon, his own Dalatrass had consorted with Batarian slavers and Krogan pirates to abduct him and use him to loot an ancient Sto'kor burial site. His mind reeled with this new realization.

 _And the Councilors know about this!_ And he paused as he measured the benefits of his situation. _I've always wanted this! To be the one to prove the existence of the ancient Sto'kor race. But not like this, not like..._

His thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling sound that seemed to be accompanied by a storm. His neck also began to ache and a terrible nausea pierced through his head. _What in the name of Sur'kesh!_ The tremors worsened, and the datapad fell off the table and straight into the floor.

"Sokun!" Had'dah burst into the room. "Sokun! Follow me"

Mura ran to the Batarian, his hands still bound behind him. What's wrong?

"It's an emission!" Edan yelled to make himself heard.

"A what!"

"An emission! Come, your assistant is already safe in the bunker below. We have to hurry!"

"What's an emission?" Mura persisted

"I don't know! But we've had them ever since we landed on this planet, and they're extremely fatal. They seem to be connected to the _Satakar._ Their records and murals confirm it. How or why they created this is a mystery to me."

"The Sto'kor created this? Incredible!"

"I don't know for sure, doctor. But we won't be able to know if you stay here. Now come on, before you get us both killed!"

* * *

To avoid confusion, let me state now that this planet is not Earth but Shanxi.

The regular timeline chapters will resume in the chapter following the next one.


	4. Chapter 4

Eipok: They had been patrolling the ravine for more than hour _before_ the emission hit, at which point they only had a several minutes to either make it to the Tomkah or hide in the cave.

* * *

The Scientists and all those labcoat _Zasranees_ would have you believe that the Zones and the Noosphere are some sort grand mystical power beyond our understanding, but they are wrong.

There's no mystery to uncover.

The simple truth is that humanity is insane – plain and simple. We've always been insane, and always will be. We are the most insane _shitheads_ in the entire universe, and our insanity simply spilled out of our heads and became the Zones.

 _And our insanity has been trying to eat us ever since..._

So there! Mystery solved! _Now, get fuck out of my bunker, Durak!_

\- Noah, On the Meaning of Insanity.

* * *

The Krogan who led the patrol through the narrow ravine was called Hailut Nex. Even among his species he was quite large, and was often described by his mercenary brothers as _someone who couldn't get out of his own way,_ a description that was both a compliment and an insult, depending on his mood.

There were five of them in the patrol, he and his four Batarians subordinates, and presently, they were trying to navigated their way through a narrow, winding rock-filled ravine that connected their camp to several swamps and unexplored caves. It was a daunting task, and made even more difficult by the fact that they were doing it in the middle of the night, during a fierce thunderstorm, while an _emission_ was only minutes away.

And to make matters worse, Nex and his patrol knew next to nothing about the areas that surrounded their camp and the ravine, which meant that all kinds of danger may be lurking right around the corner. Strange noises and skittering movements could be heard on almost every rock and bush, their sounds only slightly muffled by the falling rain and the occasional thunder. Save for surface scans from their ship, Nex's patrol didn't really know much about the surrounding area, and this made their jobs all the more dangerous - a condition that Nex had no problems with.

Hailut Nex was Hailut Vog's 5th cousin twice removed, and although familial relation certainly helped to secure his employment in Vog's relatively popular warband, the Krogan's membership into his cousin's merc company was driven more by his innate ruthlessness than simple nepotism. Nex, like Vog, were true Krogan warriors, a fact which allowed them to maintain their reputation wherever they went, including here...

 _On this wretched Stokar planet, working for that scheming little pyjak, Had'dah,_ Nex thought.

Vog, Nex and the rest of their Krogan mercenary brothers were members of Clan Hailut, a distaff bloodline of Clan Hailot. Unlike their parent clan, however, Clan Hailut did not like the discipline or civic mindedness of Krogans like Hailot Wrund (leader of Clan Hailot), who prefered negotiations over good old fashion fistfights, a sentiment which caused many Hailut clansmen to go rogue and become pirates or mercs in the Terminus systems.

Nex held up a tightly clenched fist to halt his entire squad, when he noticed something strange in the shadows up ahead of the ravine. Perhaps it was the sudden shift in the wind or the way his hump seemed to have suddenly become a little heavier, but he thought he saw dark figures flittering about in the bushes and the rocks.

"What is it?" the lead Batarian behind him asked impatiently.

When Nex didn't respond, the Batarian spoke up again a little too quickly for his preference. "One of those _emissions_ is about to erupt, and you're wasting our time." When Nex didn't answer again, the Batarian almost shrieked: "Nex! I don't want to die here! "

The Krogan scanned the area, ignoring the Batarian's pleas. He knew exactly what an _emission_ can do. He had been part of the first wave that explored the planet, and he knew exactly what to expect: Certain Death. They learned about these storms from the one of the ruins; murals that depicted red colored storms, known to the Stokar as _emissions._ They were supposedly related to something called a _Noosphere,_ whatever that is, and were apparently some form of energy discharge.

Had'dah was convinced that emissions were artificial, created by the Stokar through some sort of arcane technology, but Vog and the rest of his men had their doubts. All they had at the moment was conjecture.

Nex didn't really care though. All he needed to know was that emissions were fierce red thunderstorms that killed anything with a pulse and disabled most electrical devices. Surface scans of the planet revealed that these emissions regularly erupted all over the surface of the world, covering vast stretches of land and oceans with their presence, and leaving only death and destruction in their wake.

Had'dah's scientists couldn't figure out what caused these _emissions,_ and this only increased the fear and anxiety in their camp. Everyone knew about the Stokar legends, about how red colored storms followed them around or heralded their coming. Nex never did believe in myths. He believed in his looted-from-a-dead-Justiciar Disciple Shotgun, and he believed in Vog, his cousin. But myth or not, they were on a Stokar planet, and the red colored storms of ancient stories matched the descriptions of the emissions, and therefore could not be construed as coincidence.

Though he would never admit it, some instinct deep inside Nex shrank away whenever the _emissions_ would come, and he hated himself for being afraid of them, and more importantly, for not knowing why he was afraid.

"Nex!" The Batarian pleaded again.

"I thought I saw something," Nex replied calmly.

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Another Batarian asked behind him.

"Keep moving!" Nex snapped without further explanation. The Batarians began to grumble, angry at being pushed around by this _outsider._

"Krogan piece of shit," one of the Batarians whispered to himself at the back of the column muttered.

"Shut it!" His companion hissed. "You want that _bastard_ to hear us?"

Nex didn't hear any of the mutterings of his men through the thunderstorm, but he felt them all the same. He knew that the Batarians wanted him dead. They never did like him, or his cousin Hailut Vog, or any of his other mercenary Krogan brothers for that matter, but he also knew that none of them would dare defy Had'dah, and this gave the cocky mercenary a feeling of sadistic power. He and his merc brothers were useful, whereas Had'dah's men were not. The Batarians, he knew, were mostly conscripts, chaff to be discarded if they couldn't make the break. Had'dah like his men that way – cheap and expendable, so it was only natural for Nex not to bother to learn any of their names.

 _And besides, he wasn't the kind of mercenary anyway, the one who always tries to make contacts._ Unlike his cousin Vog who liked to rub shoulders and make a reputation, Nex just enjoyed shooting things and killing them, which is why he was always sent out on patrols or carry out dirty tasks, jobs which he, in turn, enjoyed for the danger as much as the opportunity to kill things.

 _And he was good at killing, and this planet had a lot of things to kill._

From the smallest rodents to the largest apex predators, everything on this planet seemed to have a murderous, psychotic instinct, and this was no exaggeration. He had seen little _pyjak_ -like creatures sadistically tear off the limbs from their prey, torturing them and making them feel as much pain as possible. He had seen predatory avian creatures bleeding their enemies before ripping them apart into shreds, screaming their ecstacy. He had seem fat, bulky creatures maul their own fellows in a fit of psychotic rage that Nex had never seen among animals in Tuchanka. He saw massive predators slaughter large numbers of prey and just leave their meat behind. He saw Varren-like creatures tear off the limbs of their victim one at a time, letting it suffer in agony for several long painful minutes, before finishing it off. He had even seen hordes of sharp-clawed rodents rush an absent minded Batarian excavator and dragged him kicking and screaming to their holes, ignoring the mass accelerated rounds that killed their fellows, as they scurried away with their prey, their mind driven by nothing more than the pure instinct to cause death and pain. This and many other things Nex saw, and although he was not disturbed by such sights (he was a Krogan after all), they did make him feel like there was something unnatural about them.

Nex had known a lot of dangerous, powerful animals on his homeworld. Hell, he saw nothing on this planet to compare with the Thresher Maws on Tuchanka. But Thresher Maws killed for food and survival. They did not sadistically cause their prey pain, nor did they instinctly hunt just to kill. The animals on this planet though...

They killed for the sake of killing, caused pain for its own sake.

"Boss..." One of the Batarians from behind piped up, interrupting his thoughts. "Boss, do you think what you saw was a _S-Satakar?"_

"Hey! Shut up! That's bad luck!" Another Batarian snarled.

"I'm just asking."

"Well, keep your damn questions to yourself until we're back at the base."

"The Stokar are extinct," Nex answered calmly. "You saw their ruins. They probably blew themselves up like the Protheans.

"But..."

"But nothing. This place can play tricks on you, so just focus on getting back to base."

Then without warning, one of the Batarian started reciting an old Batarian children's lullaby:

 _Satakar of Red Storms and Magical Powers_

 _Leave Me Be in My Darkest Hours_

 _Grant My Wishes From Day to Day_

 _And Seek Other Creatures for Thee to Slay_

 _Oh Satakar, Do Not Trouble Me This Night_

 _For I – a Gentle Heart – Am Easy to Fright_

The superstitious Batarians felt better after one of their fellows had finished reciting the lullaby.

"What in the name of Kalros was that?" Nex asked, contemptuously.

"An old lullaby, boss," the one who recited answered, "it's said to keep the Satakar away or make them nice."

"And you believe that?"

The Batarian shrugged. "What's the harm?"

"The Stokar are not fairies. They're an ancient alien race like the Protheans. They're no more magical than you or me."

"What's the harm?" The Batarian repeated with a shrug.

Nex only grunted a response and then quickened his pace, causing the Batarians to curse and complain as they ran to match their leader's pace, eager to reach the Tomkah that would take them back to base.

Nex's five man patrol was one of three, each of which were meant to keep the perimeter to Had'dah's base secured, while the Batarians and their excavators - most of whom were slaves - dug out whatever treasures were hidden underneath the Stokar ruins.

And they were Stokar ruins. Nex had no doubt of it. His deepest instincts confirmed it for him. Despite the damage of aeons, the ruins - about a dozen grounded starships and plant covered structures - matched the descriptions of all the Stokar vessels in ancient legends. Large, imposing vessels with sharp angles and unusually smooth surfaces, absolutely nothing like anything found in Citadel space, or even Prothean ruins. They seemed to many like large vessels in the form of complex geometrical shapes, for that was their design. Nex's favorite was a ship in the shape of a perfect diamond - or what he thought was a diamond. Whatever the vessel's true form may have been, it was long forgotten now thanks to the vines, trees and plantlife which have covered most of its half-buried hull.

 _And they were going to loot all of it._

According to the _Opportunity Costs's_ scans, Had'dah's personal cruiser which presently orbited the planet, there were countless Stokar ruins scattered on the surface. Their encampment was deployed on one of these ruins, one of the largest on the planet in fact. These particular ruins - located inside a small crater about 8.5 km in diameter and may have once been a spaceport of some kind a long time ago, but destroyed during a war in some dim and distant past.

Three ravines allowed passage in and out of crater, which made defense easy and patrols fairly convenient. The looters' base consisted of several heavily armed modular bunkers, automated defense networks and supply depots scattered around and among the ruins in the crater.

Edan Had'dah had even wisely, or perhaps foolishly, converted one of the shattered starships into his own personal base, turning it into the central hub for coordinating all the various camps throughout the crater. The vessel itself was relatively intact and 3 km long...

 _A 3 km ship. That ship was larger than the Destiny Ascension by a wide margin, and it isn't even the largest one in the ruins. There were plenty of other derelicts that were more imposing, but were unfortunately too thoroughly destroyed to be of any use other than as makeshift shelters._

And as if that wasn't enough, there were also rumors that this planet may hold Prothean relics. _Prothean Relics!_ In other words, they hit the big lode. If they could find these relics, _and we will,_ Nex told himself confidently _,_ then they will return to Citadel space with more credits than they could spend.

* * *

According to the xenoarcheologists, the Stokar called this planet _Shanxi,_ so Shangxi it was for Had'dah and his men. According to their probe's readings, Shangxi was supposed to be a garden world, and it was a garden work with a fairly stable atmosphere, a large amount of water and nitrogen, as well as a fairly diverse ecosystem. Despite the _emissions_ , the strange _anomalies_ that littered the planet's surface and the psychotic wildlife, _Shangxi_ had the potential to support a relatively large population. In other words, it was perfect for colonization...

At least on paper.

The truth is that Shangxi was no paradise, and although it was not as bad as say, the Vorcha homeworld of _Heshtok,_ what made it bad was that there was something very, very wrong about it. Most of Had'dah's expedition couldn't quite explain it, but the planet felt more like a tomb or an abandoned building than an actual planet. Every square inch of Shangxi feels like a cemetery or some long forgotten temple. It also didn't help that there were so many ruins nearby, not to mention the perpetually rainy weather and the drab and depressing milieu of... _pretty much everything._

Nex's thoughts were rudely interrupted as one of the Batarians called out to him.

"What?" Nex snarled.

"There! Can't you see 'em."

Nex focused his eyes at the lone figure heading towards them. It was the Tomkah's driver, Mael'Oun Vas Kilar, a renegade Quarian from the Terminus Systems. He was limping towards them, almost seemingly injured.

Ever since the Rannochian civil war, more and more political outcasts and exiles from _Quarian Enclaves_ kept making their way into the Terminus systems, hoping to escape persecution from the ruling Junta which now ruled over all Quarian territories in Citadel space.

"It's Mael!"

"I can see that," Nex snarled.

"Shouldn't he be at the Tomkah..."

"Maybe something happened. Something bad. Boss, what if..."

"Quiet! All of you," Nex snarled, as he ordered his men to reach the Quarian.

"Boss!" Mael whimpered as he fell in front of the Krogan. He wore a standard Quarian suit, but it had too many damaged, patched up areas, indicating the hardships that Mael had gone through since his exile. He stood in front of Nex with most of his weight resting on his left foot, his right one bleeding and injured, and his bleeding hands clutching his abdomen. "They got the Tomkah. They took out the engines and... and the Nav system. We-we're stranded here."

The patrol, including Nex, were dumbfounded. The sound of thunder in the distance, reminded them that their death was near.

"You worthless Quarian _son-of-a-bitch_!" One of the Batarians whinned miserably as he tried to grab hold of Mael to choke him. "You had one job. One job!"

Nex elbowed the Batarian aside, causing him to fall, and then followed it up with a vicious kick to his ribs.

"Knock it off!" Nex snarled. "Mael, what are you talking about? Who attacked you?"

"They tore through the hull. Fire and... and lights everywhere. Keelah, it was horrible. We can't go back that way. They'll cut us to shreds." As if on cue, a smoke began to rise from the direction of their Tomkah, close to the mouth of the ravine. Shoulders sagged and mouths opened agape, as Nex's whole crew realized that Mael was telling the truth.

"We can't stay here," Mael added. "They're headed in our direction."

"The emission," the Batarian whimpered. "What're we gonna do! We're standed here."

"We still have time!" Nex said, for the benefit of his men, then he turned his attention back to Mael.

"What happened?" Nex asked slowly and deliberately, but Mael could only stammer gibberish in response. "Who did it? Who dammit!" Nex asked louder.

"Monsters," Mael stammered, "Demons." And then he fainted, dead, the damage to his suit finally killing him.

Nex kicked the dead Quarian, furious that he had allowed _whatever it was to destroy their only way out of the ravine and back to their base in the crater._

"He was lying," one of the Batarians at the back said hysterically. "You know how Quarians are. Lying little thieves, they are. Mael was lying. He wanted us to die. That's it. He wanted us to die with him. I say we keep heading straight back to the Tomkah. That smoke could be anything. What do you guys say?"

The rest of Nex's troops hesitated in nodding their heads, waiting for Nex or someone else to give them an alternative.

"Well!" snarled the hysterical Batarian. A very loud thunder rumbled far away, heralding the coming of the emission. It was followed by a slight quake that quickly passed away. Both omens quickened the pulse of everyone present, including Nex. "What are you waiting for? You wanna die here? Come on! The Tomkah is only a few minutes away. We can reach it."

As the Batarian moved forward, Nex extended his big meaty hands to stop him in his tracks.

"Stay put!" Nex hissed ominously.

"Rot in your shit, you Krogan filth. I'm going back to the Tomkah. It's our only way out from here." Three of the Batarian's eyes were twitching uncontrollably.

"I said stay put!"

"Your mother!"

Before the Batarian could utter another word, his chest exploded into chunks of meat, as Nex fired his Disciple Shotgun straight into his torso.

"Anyone else want to say anything about my mother?" Nex snarled. "I thought so. Listen up, you mutinous scum! Mael dragged himself all the way here to tell us that the Tomkah is destroyed, and judging by the way he looks, I'm inclined to believe him."

"It's the Satakar," one of the Batarians muttered. It was the same one who recited the lullaby earlier.

"We left the Tomkah on open ground," Nex continued, ignoring the muttering of his men. "If it was destroyed as Mael said then going there would be a lot worse than staying here. We won't have time to seek shelter, and... All of you shut up!" Nex snarled, as the Batarians began to protest. "And we don't know what's waiting for us there. I said shut up! Try to pretend that you're soldiers for a moment... Now, here's the plan. There's a cave not too far from here. We can reach it in less than five minutes if we hurry – plenty enough time to reach it before this emission hits." Nex opened up his Omni-Tool to show them their new destination. The image on the Omni-Tool revealed the ravine that they had been traversing in the past hour or so. One section of the ravine trailed off eastward towards a rather large underground cave. The Grey marking indicated that it wasn't explored, but at this moment it was their only option. The only other option was to trust faith and keep moving forwards towards the direction of the Tomkah, hoping that the vehicle was still operational.

"We'll hide out there until this cursed emission is over. It won't be as cozy as our base, but it'll keep us alive."

"We haven't explored that cave yet, boss," one of his men noted.

"Well then. We're going to explore it today."

"That's what they want us to do!" Shrieked the lullaby Batarian.

"Who? Who wants us to do that?" Nex shouldered his way past the rest of his men until he was face to face with the protester. The Batarian looked down at Nex's armor, covered by his dead comrade's guts.

"N-Nothing boss. I mean, no one. No one wants us to do anything."

"Good," Nex grunted. "Now, if there are no further protests, I suggest we make our way to that cave."

Despite their fears, Nex and his fellow mercenaries retraced their steps back to the section of the ravine that branched off towards the cave. All four of them hurried to their new destination, and as they quickened their pace, a strange silence seemed to emanate all around them. The nighttime noise disappeared and everything around them seemed quiet... To quiet, _like there was a predator lurking in the shadows._

"Boss, what do you think attack Mael and the Tomkah?" one of the Batarians asked through his exhaustion.

"Don't think about it. Just focus on reaching that damn cave."

* * *

After three minutes of running, Nex and his patrol found the cave. It was small, but it was large enough for their needs. It was relatively safe too. No, signs of _strange anomalous formations_ could be found inside the cave. There no pools of toxic chemicals. There were no floating balls of fire or electricity. There weren't even those strange gravitational distortion fields that sucks people up and tear them into pieces.

Nex and his men had made it to the safety of the cave just in time. It was dark. Their loss of vision made the silence all the more unbearable, interrupted only by the sound of their breathing and the grinding of rocks underneath their footsteps. Even with the NV of their helmets barely allowed them to see their surroundings, but even so, they were more than thankful to have safely made it through. The cave was reasonably deep and stable, though there wasn't a lot of space to move around. Although the cave's passageways led to deeper places, the patrol wisely decided to remain as close to the mouth of the cave as possible.

Nex and his men had to crawl close to each other, their kinetic barriers interacting with the thick air all around them, the dank smell of the cave filling their noses. Outside, it was clear that the emission was already taking place, loud booms and tremors could be felt even in the security of their little cave.

"Everyone alright?" Nex asked.

The Batarians nodded their heads and murmured their answers.

"Good. We'll get through this."

Nex scanned the faces of his three remaining men. Forgotten was their hate for him or the fact that he had shot one of their comrades. On their faces only remained fear. The darkness as well as their helmets concealed most of their faces, but the Krogan recognized enough to see that they were scared shitless. He was scared too, to be honest, but like any good Krogan, his bloodlust was stronger than his fear, and so tense wariness overpowered Nex's fears.

As the emission continued outside, the air around them seemed to change and transform, becoming reddish, oppressive, unnatural. Nex and his men felt pain all over their body, their minds clouded and losing focus. One of the Batarians started swatting imaginary flies, while the other two began chuckling and muttering to themselves. Nex himself was not immune to these effects, as he began _thinking he smelled smoke, and felt like he was floating on air._

The one swatting the imaginary flies suddenly stopped and looked at Nex with a blank, smiling face, which then caused the Krogan to become irritated.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Nex yelled through the booming thunderstorms.

The Batarian looked surprise and shook his head vigorously, and said something that was drowned out by the emission.

He continued smiling.

Nex was about to yell at the Batarian to stop smirking when a strange glowing mist covered his vision. It was then followed by a sharp, piercing noise that he was sure did not come from the emission or anything close by. Judging by the look of the two other Batarians, they too heard the noise. The sound continued to grow louder and louder, just as their vision lost focus. These culminated into a piercing pain in the back of their skulls, causing them to fall to their knees in agony.

"Arrggh!" The Batarians cried out. Nex, too, began to growl in pain. The only one who didn't seem affected was the smiling Batarian, who cradled his rifle and rocked back and forth from where he sat.

 _Submit, all of you._

"Did you hear that?" One of the Batarians asked. Without warning, the rifles on the Batarian's hands were wrenched away by some unseen force, and then Nex's own Disciple Shotgun flew away from his palms as he struggled to fight the pain. All three weapons flew to some dark passageway that led deeper into the cave, a place where they would be impossible to recover. Amidst the unnatural high-pitched sounds and the rumbling thunder of the emissions outside, this sudden unexpected phenomenon struck fear into the hearts of the Batarians, and even Nex's courage faltered.

The smiling Batarian was soon joined by another of his species, and both stood next to each other, smiling down at Nex and the one remaining Batarian who still seemed sane, coincidentally, it was also the same Batarian who recited the lullaby earlier. Their smiles were eerily unnatural, as if someone else was behind their face, moving them against their will.

 _Submit! You are trapped. The cave you are in is filled with Anomalies that will rip you into shreds. And we guard the mouth of the entrance._

"It's the Satakar," the lullaby Batarian whispered in terror.

"Shut up!" Nex snarled at him and then turned to the two smiling creatures. "Are you the Stokar?"

Both smiling Batarians frowned at this, as if Nex had said something stupid.

 _Submit!_

And then the smiling Batarian who still had his rifle pointed it at Nex. This happened as the pain and the sound grew stronger.

 _Satakar of Red Storms and Magical Powers..._ The lullaby Batarian began reciting.

"Okay, we surrender!" Nex snarled hesitantly, and the mind-controlled Batarian nodded its head in acknowledgement. The noise began to subside and Nex felt his mind returning to normal. Outside, the emission was still going on, so they were clearly trap, but despite the odds, the Krogan still had a few tricks up his sleeves.

 _Leave Me Be in My Darkest Hours_

As he got up from the ground, Nex launched a vicious Biotic Slam attack against his mind-controlled men, incapacitating both of them at the same time. Nex quickly followed through by stomping on one of the Batarian's necks and then quickly grappling with the one with the rifle. The darkness and the loud thundering noise of the emission made combat easy for Nex.

The remaining smiling Batarian got off two shots, but both missed. As both combatants fought, the piercing noise returned and once again, Nex felt his eyes blurred by some strange force.

 _Suuuuubmiiiiit!_

 _Grant My Wishes From Day to Day_

 _And Seek Other Creatures for Thee to Slay_

The Batarian who had not been mindcontrolled felt the strange force from earlier, and it caused him such fear that he quickly ran towards one of the tunnels which led deeper into the cave.

"Nex! Over here! Hurry!" He cried, as he crawled towards the small tunnel.

 _Nooo. Do not go thereeeee._

"Hurrrrrryyyy!" The Batarian cried again, but Nex was too busy fighting his former subordinate, who fought like a maniac, thanks to the force that controlled him. Nex, however, got a lucky punch that disoriented his opponents, and quickly followed through with a chokehold that snapped the Batarian's neck in half, and just in time too. Outside the cave, growling sounds erupted from unseen monsters.

They were coming for them.

 _Oh Satakar, Do Not Trouble Me This Night_

 _For I – a Gentle Heart – Am Easy to Fright_

"Nex! I found a-" The fleeing Batarian's words were cut short as he stepped on a Rusty Hair Anomaly*, his kinetic barriers incapable of protecting him from its effects. The Batarian's screamed in agony as the anomaly's influence rapidly spread from his feet to his torso, disintegrating his flesh and hardsuit rapidly.

Nex thought about rescuing the Batarian, but quickly brushed away such thoughts. Judging by his screams, the Batarian was already dead, and the emission outside showed no sign of disspating just yet, which meant that he was trapped. The inner parts of the cave was filled with anomalies. So he was trapped after all. There would be no escape for him, and he saw that the creatures from outside were already close by, their eyes glowing red, and their growls as terrible as the emission's sounds.

With the piercing noise still ringing in his ears and his vision still blurring, Nex forced himself up and took the rifle from the dead Batarian's hands. With a defiant scream, he yelled through his bloodlust: "Come on! Come on! Comeon! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all! I'll drink your blood!"

And then the monsters attacked.

* * *

The creature who led the troop of Poltergeists, Burers, Controllers and Blood Suckers was a human, but more than just a human, he was also a Stalker. Like all Stalkers, he is a creature of the Zone, a reflection of its power and fury.

In the ravine where Hailut Nex and his men met their end, the Stalker and his own minions gathered what was left of their gear, mostly weapons and a few Omni-Tools. Clothed in a simple Ghillie Suit - which concealed hidden powers and potent weapons - the Stalker first examined the cave that Nex and his men retreated to, and then examined the trail that they had followed prior to the emission.

The Stalker was over 10,000 years old, a staggering number for a human from ancient Terra, but for him, it was not really that big of a deal. There were humans now who are more than 40,000 years old; some even older, tracing their lives all the way back to pre-spaceflight earth millenia ago. So it really wasn't a big deal, nor was it even remotely impressive. Despite their effective immortality, humans spent an overwhelming portion of their lives in their Sarcophagi, existing in a state of suspended animation, their collective Noospheric powers combined to control the Zone which covered all known human space.

The Stalker rubbed his temples as he looked at the body of the Krogan, the Quarian and the various mauled pieces of Batarian. They had been laid out in orderly little rows for him to inspect by his Blood Sucker servants. Close behind him, walked two Burers and a rather small and frail-looking Controller, each of whom played a crucial role in this ambush.

He walked by each of the dead aliens, carefully observing their equipment and their bodies. He had never been to either Tuchanka or Karshan, though he had briefly visited Rannoch about 8,000 years ago. From the stories told by other Stalkers, he had expected the aliens to be larger, but here, looking at them up close, he was rather disappointed. He had expected strange, monstrous killing machines from beyond the stars, and they didn't really measure up to these expectations.

He was further disappointed by the results of his mission. He was supposed to capture the aliens, not slaughter them. The patrol had been a target of opportunity. The emission gave them the perfect chance to capture a few prisoners and examine their weapons before they could return to their base in the old, abandoned Starport. Instead, they got a bunch of dead corpses, some damaged weapons and "Omni-Tools" and burned out Tomkah.

The original plan had been to destroy their APC-like vehicle; which would then predictably force them into nearest cave. From there, the Stalker and his team of mutants would subdue them with a psy-pulse from the Controllers and then with the help of the Burers, telekinetically relieve them of their weapons. That had been the plan, and it was easy enough to follow.

Instead, everything went wrong since step one. First, the Quarian decided to play hero, getting himself wounded in the process, and then the Krogan decided to kill one of his own men when they had an altercation on their way back to the Tomkah. And as if that wasn't enough, he had not anticipated that the Krogan had Biotic abilities, or that he and the other Batarian would be able to resist the Psy-signal meant to subdue them.

"Dammit!" The Stalker cursed.

"It could have been worse, Shepard," Joker, the Controller next to him said somewhat apologetically.

"It could have been better too, Joker," the Stalker called Shepard answered not unkindly.

He then turned to the Blood Suckers who were sent to apprehend Nex once it was clear that the mission had gone to shit.

"Any of you hurt?" He asked the Blood Suckers, especially the ones who had been sent to subdue Nex.

"Only Fragt'thu, lord. The lizard thing shattered his ribs during the attack." They answered in their clicking, snorting language.

"Doctor will personally take care of Fragt'thu. Anyone else?"

They all shook their head, although Shepard noticed that three of them were bleeding. Blood Suckers were quite tough, but they weren't invincible. Shepard made a mental note to have these three see Doctor as soon as they returned to camp.

"Any of you?" He turned to the Burers.

"No lord," both Burers answered and then lowered their heads in penitence. They were garbed in long flowing dark robes, just like feral Burers, but unlike their feral cousins, their garments were profoundly more elegant, and their form – untouched by the intrinsic monstrosity of the Zone – looked slender and less monstrous than wild Burers. "And please forgive us."

"There's nothing to forgive. You did everything as you were told to do. _We_ are pleased by your performance." Shepard was not pleased, of course, but what he said was also true. The Burers did do what they were told to do.

The Burers and Poltergeists who destroyed the Tomkah were not supposed to harm the Quarian driver, but Mael had made the very stupid mistake of trying to shoot the attacking Burers, a mistake which caused several cuts to his suit and a shattered arm. The Burers tried their best not to kill him, of course, as per Shepard's orders, but he almost forgot how fragile Quarians were.

As for the Batarians and the Krogan...

They had caused their own deaths by trying to escalate an already dangerous situation, and they had been in a dangerous situation prior to their deaths. They just didn't realize it. They were clearly trapped, and yet they still chose to fight. Was it out fright? More accurately, it was out of terror and desperation.

"We ask for forgiveness nonetheless," one of the Burers said in its low, growling voice. Its plain, rock-like face genuinely penitent.

"Again, it wasn't your fault," Shepard said kindly, and then quickly dismissed them.

"Do you think we could have done better?" Joker asked. The Controller was thinner and taller than the Burer, but also much bulkier than Shepard, and his head was significantly larger and filled with features that made him seem both wise, and infinitely inhuman at the same time.

"Maybe. But they," Shepard nudged the dead Krogan's hand a little, "died because they lost their nerves." He then became dour. "Should have listened to a good warning when they had the chance."

"SSSsuuuubmiiiit," Joker imitated Shepard's voice. "Yeah, they'll surrender to a scary voice in their head alright."

"Shut up Joker."

"Ha!"

 _"Problem?"_ A voice intruded into his mind. It was his Stalker brothers still connected to Shangxi's C-Conciousness. " _Your thoughts sound a little disappointed, Bratan._ "

 _"They ended up killing themselves."_

 _"So we heard..."_

 _"What about their gear? Are they still intact?"_

Shepard took a bloody Batarian hand and examined the Omni-Tool still attached to it. The device glowed orange, indicating that it was still more or less functional.

 _"Yep. More or less."_

 _"Define more or less."_

 _"They're covered in pieces of Batarian and Krogan. Though the Burers did a hell of job taking away their weapons. Does that answer your question?"_

 _"No need to be snide, Shepard. We'll let that lazy bum, Ashot sort their shit out. Good job, Synok. Get back to base."_

 _"Roger, Yar. Heading back."_

"Hey! You don't know where that's been," Shepard snarled at one of the Bloodsuckers trying to suck on a Batarian's severed foot, who promptly dropped its prize after attracting the Elder Kin's attention. "You can drink that later after we've sure it's safe for you to drink. For now, help me with this." Shepard signalled to his Bloodsucker companions to gather the fallen equipment of the patrol and anything else that they could carry.

The bloodsuckers then carefully gathered the bloody Batarian limbs inside the little pouches which hung around their shoulders, and went to work salvaging the primitive machines of the interlopers. After they've done their task, the Stalker and his mutant servants retreated into one of many dozen well hidden teleportation and space bubble anomalies that littered the area, and back to their underground lair where hundreds of Stalkers - the unseen masters of Shangxi - dwelt in secret.

* * *

* From the Stalker Wiki – "all metal surfaces will gradually accumulate the so-called rusty hair, which, when touched, will cause the body to blacken and smoke"


	5. Chapter 5

Humanity and the Zones are one. If the Zones disappear, humanity will become extinct. If humanity dies, the Zones will cease to exist.

If you understand this relationship then you understand the Monolith's true purpose: To strip away our humanity so that we may become _one_ with the Zones. More than man, more than mutant. The next step in our evolution as a species.

So remember this well, Shepard.

Though humanity continues to dwindle in numbers, this dwindling is but part of a much large transformation. The death of _our_ humanity will signal our ascension to godhood, and the universe shall quake in our splendor.

You must accept this!

\- Scar

* * *

Hello, 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 _Shadow Broker..._ 孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬That's a cute name.孬孬孬孬come a long way since Skadovsk...孬孬孬孬I remember when 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 two bit gossip 孬孬孬孬孬孬peddling guns to rookie Stalkers.孬孬孬But this is not a social chat, so I'll make this quick.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬and neither are the Citadel species.孬孬孬孬孬孬You know this. I know this.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

Monolith...孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Reapers...孬孬孬孬孬孬are coming...孬孬孬孬孬孬We are the only ones who can fight them.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 is up to Shepard...孬孬孬孬孬孬Shepard is corrupted...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Shepard knows...孬孬孬孬that's why he left...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬The Tribe...孬孬孬tainted by Monolith..孬孬孬孬not what you think they are.孬孬孬孬孬Secrets from the City of Screams on Earth...孬孬孬James Leighley 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬bloodline孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 Killed anyone who found out...孬孬孬Mikhailo Tarasov孬孬孬孬The Monolith...孬孬孬孬The Wish Granter...孬孬孬孬孬孬Just one of many Manifestations.孬孬孬孬孬The Zones..孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.

孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Strelok knows... 孬孬孬孬孬Find him...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Not where you think he is...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Scar is planning his big return but you already know that, don't you?孬孬孬nearly killed Shepard...孬孬孬Heavily mutated孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬That's what he's looking for.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Guide knows...孬孬孬Maybe Doctor too...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬The Reapers are returning...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬all of them now subverted孬孬孬孬孬by Monolith.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬The _Catalyst_ 孬孬孬孬孬孬The Monolith is looking for the _Catalyst._ 孬孬孬孬孬If it finds the Catalyst孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬extinction of humanity...孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

Or it could be our salvation.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬You and I both know what needs to be done.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬I'm doing everything I can on my end, but I also need your information network.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Make sure no one gets this message.

A.D.

\- Intercepted Encrypted Message for the Shadow Broker, Date (Redacted)

* * *

% % %% !%%%! **# #

Att !%%%! **# #empting Sys !%tem Diagnostic !%%%! **s...

Pleeeeeeeeeeease Sta !%%%! ** #Sta !%%%! **##nd by...

...

...

...

Diagnostics Complete...

Data Stream Secured...

Connection to Historical Archives Restored...

Reloading Requested Files...

Please Stand by...

...

...

5750 CE

The Long Sleep continues. 87.7% of all humanity reside in their "Sarcophagi" at any given time. These Sarcophagi, which are synthetic version of the _Bubble Anomaly,_ keep humans in a state of suspended animation, while at the same time, connecting their minds to the C-Consciousness Network, a massive psy-based network that controls the Zones on every human controlled planet in the galaxy.

Every few decades or so, individual humans are allowed to leave their Sarcophagi in order to roam freely or to conduct critical tasks that could not be handled by special drones.

But as always, the Long Sleep continues.

The Long Sleep is the only way to control the Zones that had spread all over human planets and even in certain parts of human space. And without it, without the C-Consciousness Network, the Noosphere will revert back to its unstable state, just as it become critically fatal when the first C-Consciousness was destroyed more than three millennia ago.

After hundreds of centuries spent within these Sarcophagi, human nature underwent a gradual transformation. Human existence has been radically altered by the species' disfigured Noosphere.

Humanity was no longer quite human. Though outwardly humans had retained most of their physical features, our own mental and emotional faculties had changed. Integration into the C-Consciousness had given humanity a dual experience. One experience remained distinctly human, ruled by human sensations and cognitive abilities, while the other was something quite different...

We became one with the Zones. We heard the song of the Solar Winds. Infinite space seemed to us like a source of infinite beauty. From the mightiest suns to the humblest trees, their secrets opened to us like an exquisite opera. And these experiences changed us. It gave us knowledge undreamed of by previous generations.

The closer our connections to the Zones became, the less human we felt ourselves to be, and as time passed, humans felt their humanity slowly slip away with each passing of millennia.

5780 CE

Human demographics are now relatively stable. We were no longer dying out as a species. With the Noosphere now in relative equilibrium, and the Zones controlled by the C-Consciousness Network, the psy mutations that were slowly killing us as a species have stopped. Mutations are now kept to a 13% to 23% average, well within acceptable parameters. Individual humans were no longer going insane, nor did we gradually turn into snork-like monstrosities, which had been the fate of many humans during the early parts of the 3rd Millennia.

Furthermore, the C-Consciousness Network now allowed us to control our own mutations, which meant that we could select for those mutations which are conducive to our long term survival. Among these was practical _immortality._ The human body no longer aged, and could be manipulated to heal the most grievous of wounds.

Other controlled mutations allowed humans to remotely commune with the Noosphere, to create and manipulate anomaly fields, to create localized psy-fields and even to survive emissions. The downside to these "controlled" mutations was their side effects. A human who allowed too many controlled mutations ran the risk of _Psy-field_ shock, which in turn could potentially turn him or her into a _super-snork_ or some other similar mutant.

5781 CE

With the help of the C-Consciousness and our new-found powers, we were able to wield the Noosphere, so that the Zones may do our bidding. Slowly but surely, we turned the tide, and over time, we had solved many of the problems that had plagued our species so long ago.

Despite these positive developments, there are still problems. Our birth rate at this time was still close to zero, with 9 out 10 newborns dying weeks after being born.

The issue here was getting women pregnant was easy. Making sure that the embryo didn't die in utero or mutate into a pile of flesh a few weeks after pregnancy was not. Various schemes to boost our stagnating population, such as cloning, controlled mutations and in utero drug treatments failed. Even the _Black Heart_ artifacts that protected adult humans from severe psy-induced mutations could not protect the fragile psy-fields of human embryo, dooming any attempt to birth new human children to failure.

6003 CE

After a millennia of demographic stagnation, a solution was found to address the issue of stagnant birth rates. Ecologist scientists discovered that the best way to protect human embryos from _psy-field shock_ was not to suppress Noospheric mutations, but to increase it. It was discovered that suppression of Noospheric mutations also suppressed the psy-fields of infants, which in turn caused them to die while in the womb.

The procedure was basically a form of controlled mutation. Understandably, humans had mixed reactions to this proposal. Duty and the colonies aligned with them reacted with hostility, seeing it as an acceleration of human mutation. In contrast, Freedom aligned colonies and human communities hailed the discovery as a something positive for our species.

On the other hand, the Tribe-Imperium, the Ecologists and the unaligned territories were accepting of the measure provided that new methods could be used to control or reduce the mutations once the infants are born.

In the end, the procedure was a tremendous success. For the first time since in countless centuries, humanity was growing once again. The 7th millennium became a millennium of hope for our species.

However, there were also certain unintended consequences. Due to the controlled mutation processes used to stabilize mutation rates among embryos, newborn infants had higher rates of psy-mutations than their parents, making them more psionically powerful as they grew up, but also more vulnerable to Noospheric mutations at the same time.

Another serious problem was that this procedure required a lot of time and resources, which meant that giving birth to a single human baby was a complicated, time-consuming and expensive process. Dozens of artifacts - both synthetic and natural were involved - as well as countless drugs and medication were necessary in order to make the whole process work. This meant that there were now cost-barriers to reproduction.

Despite these limitations, this procedure was quickly adopted throughout human controlled space. Relatively healthy newborn infants began to be born to human mothers, their mutation levels controlled and stable. The results spoke for themselves, and even Duty conceded that these measures were successful.

Humanity was growing again.

6241 CE

With birth rates rising and the Noosphere now stable, humanity breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in countless millennia. The time to rebuild and balance accounts had come.

Planets which had once been ravaged by never-ending emissions and scarred by anomaly fields were stabilized. New C-Consciousness control nodes were also installed on various planets, moons and space stations, extending the influence of the C-Consciousness networks beyond previous limits.

As with all changes, human politics also underwent a radical shift during this time. The faction that had once been called the Tribe-Imperium had reverted to the simple name "The Tribe" after centuries of acculturation of its partner faction. The Tribe's people consists mostly of European and Mid-Western American descent, with a few Central Asians mixed in as well. Of all the human factions, it was the Tribe which had the greatest fleet and the most formidable warriors, most of whom were veterans from the First Long Dark War.

The Tribe's weakness was that they had the lowest populations and the least number of colonies. As a space-born faction, adapted to war and conflict, they were also the most vigilant against Monolith forces, even though the entity and its minions had not been seen or heard for millennia.

Duty too had experienced change. Duty formalized its hierarchical and some would say "fascistic" control over several human colonies, and appoints military governors known as Exarchs to oversee them. Most of Duty's affiliate colonies were descended from a combination of Russian, Ukrainian, Iranian, Levantine, Asian and Central Asian sources. They were also the most stringently anti-mutant of all the factions, and are the most committed to destroying the Zones at all cost.

Of all the factions, Duty also has the largest populations, the most well-armed armies and the most fortified communities. Their hostility to the Zones and mutants also makes Duty controlled planets and populations the least mutated of all the various factions. They do this, not only by strengthening the C-Consciousness Nodes on their planets, but also by controlling cases of mutations with cybernetic implants. Semi-uplifted Blood Suckers, Controllers, Burers and other mutants under the influence of Duty's portion of the C-Consciousness network are also more strictly regulated, their powers and populations kept under strict control so as to prevent, as one Duty official stated vaguely, "unwanted risks."

Duty was also unique in the sense that they were the most technologically adept of all the factions, emphasizing research into new technologies rather than study into Noospheric phenomenon. This bias towards technology - a tendency that exists even today - makes Duty the most technologically sophisticated of all the factions (second only to the Ecologists), but at the same time, the least proficient in Psy, Anomaly and Artifact research.

Like the other factions, Freedom continues to exist in the 7th millennium. Though originally founded by Eastern Europeans, most Freedom members are of East Asian and Latin American descent. The last remnants of African ethnicities were also absorbed by this faction.

Unlike Duty, Freedom aligned planets were more "democratic," decentralized and as one Duty official commented "degenerate." Freedom affiliated groups oversee their own affairs, coordinating with other Freedom aligned colonies only when necessary.

In terms of assets, though most of their territory are sparsely populated and lacking in infrastructure. This is exacerbated by the fact that Freedom controls twice the number of planets that Duty controls. Nevertheless, though lacking the space assets of the Tribe and the technological edge of Duty, Freedom units are the most well-adapted to the Zones of all the different factions, making them capable of "living off" even the most hostile Zones with minimal supplies or support.

It's also worth mentioning that of all the various factions, Freedom were the most eager to uplift the various mutants in the Zone. Since the First Long Dark War, Freedom groups have invested large amounts of time and resources uplifting various controlled populations of Blood Suckers, Controllers and an assortment of other mutants. The result is a Freedom army that consists of uplifted mutants auxiliaries and a dedicated core of elite Freedom warriors.

The Ecologists, once a loose collection of scientists, technicians and explorers, have grown into a formal faction. It was around this period that they began forming their own fleets and commanded the respect and devotion of several human communities and city-states. Though their standing military forces are smaller compared to the other factions, they are nevertheless seen as a rising power in human politics.

The Ecologists maintain strong relations with the other factions, but are also eager to keep themselves out of any conflict. It's also worth mentioning that Ecologist contributions to human society at this time are substantial. As the faction that is most dedicated to research and technological development, the Ecologists spearhead the development of new ships, new weapons, new terraforming techniques, new Noospheric control technology, matter decompilation, artifact synthesis and more. Such contributions helped to establish the Ecologists' reputation as a specialist faction, further increasing their stature among the various factions of humanity.

The Stalkers too still existed at this time, despite efforts to quietly suppress them. In this era, a Stalker was basically any person who was not aligned with any community or major faction. Scattered Stalker colonies - basically unaligned colonies and fleets - were scattered all over human space at this time. Though looked upon as minor players, the Stalkers communities are nevertheless recognized by all of the factions and colonies, respected and even often trusted.

6383 CE

After three millennia of being stranded on the Monolith Capital world, Harbinger, the greatest of all Reapers was finally completely subverted by the Monolith, and its _indoctrination_ frequencies had been altered to broadcast the Psy influence of the Monolith.

Monolith agents inserted countless psy artifacts into Harbinger's hull, turning the Reaper into an extremely powerful mobile brain scorcher. Harbinger, now a synthesis of human Noospheric science and Reaper technology, was more terrible than any other Reaper in existence.

Its new master - the Monolith - allows Harbinger to leave the hidden Monolith capital world for Dark Space in order to subvert the Reapers that waited in dark space. Like a foreign virus, Harbinger's enhanced indoctrination frequencies would infect its fellow Reapers, turning them into the Monolith's slaves.

6450 CE

Humanity continues to grow. There are now 3 billion living humans, all of whom are confined to our own little corner of the galaxy. Though demographic growth was slow, it was also rising at a steady rate, giving hope to humanity that the nightmare which began countless millennia long ago had finally come to an end.

With human space now in a state of relative peace and the Zones more or less stable, the various human factions consider sending out exploration missions to other parts of the galaxy. This proposal, however, was cancelled due to...

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孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬possibility of Monolith forces孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬controversy over uplifted mutants孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬false information孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬increasingly provocative actions孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

Analysis of recovered wreckage suggests孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬controversial issue of uplifting blood suckers孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬strongly opposed by Duty孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬conspiracy by certain elements within Duty to孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬respond with weapons fire to the provocation孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Forcing civilians to undergo cybernetic implants.孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬alienate support from the colonies孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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7020 CE

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孬 孬孬Creation of additional Emission Warheads孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬provoked an attack孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬colonies divided孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Military Escalation孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬May have been instigated by forces related to the Monolith entity孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬Low-Intensity Skirmishes between Duty and Freedom孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬asked to broker a cease fire, which they 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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7230 CE

The (relatively) short lived civil war between the various major factions have split humanity into three different camps. Although the C-Consciousness Nodes and transmitters remained intact, many of infrastructure built up over these past centuries had been destroyed. The peace that followed restored the previous status-quo, but not the trust.

The Tribe, Duty, Freedom and the unaligned colonies all retreated to their respective enclaves. Only the Ecologists who remained neutral throughout the conflict was unscathed by what was now called the "Faction Wars."

As humanity's factions became estranged to each other, competition increased for power and supremacy. Fleets were built and armies assembled. Despite the successes of the previous millennia, humanity had reverted back to its insular state.

With this state of affairs, all attempts expansion or exploration were put on hold until humanity could resolve its issues.

8030 CE

New human colonies are established on star systems adjacent to existing human territory. Expansion is slow but steady. Terraforming the new planets was also made easy thanks to newly developed artifacts and synthesized anomaly fields that could turn hostile alien environments into life-supporting eco-systems. Such innovations, combined with our extremely slow reproduction, eliminated pressures to expand further out into the galaxy.

We became an insular people.

Relationship between the various factions continue to remain cold, with each faction remaining aloof to the concerns and doings of their neighbors, but the possibility of renewed hostilities was also unlikely to erupt.

Also, despite initial attempts to revive interest in Mass Effect Technology, there was simply not enough information (or inclination) to continue studies. Attempts to investigate the relays were also abandoned as the major factions focused most of their resources on Noospheric research, Nano-technology, Gene-therapy and Anomaly applied science, all of which were more crucial to human survival.

However, a small group of Freedom analysts under the codename "Cerberus" continue analyzing the possible applications of Mass Effect Technology...

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孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬

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9010 CE

An unidentified vessel attacked a lone Ecologist exploration ship. Analysis of the destroyed ship's memory core reveals that the hostile vessel was possessed a Monolith insignia.

An unidentified fleet was also spotted several lightyears away from Shangxi, one of the outermost colonies in human space. All attempts to investigate this fleet have resulted in hostile action.

9014 CE

Intelligence data confirms that the unidentified fleet is indeed a Monolith fleet. Said fleet consists of at least a thousand vessels.

The factions begin mobilizing their military assets and scramble to set up an appropriate strategic response.

9020 CE

As more and more Monolith forces reveal themselves, they are joined by mutants never seen before in any of the Zones in human space. The first of these were hulking insect-like creatures with Noospheric signatures inconsistent with any known mutant previously encountered. The second set were huge monstrosities with torsos as large as young pseudogiants and have been observed to be extremely aggressive.

9021 CE

Analysis of all captured data reveals that the Monolith forces' mutant armies are not of Terran origin. The insect like creatures were apparently an alien race known as "Rachni" whereas the giants were an alien species called the "Yahg."

Analysis of these apparent aliens reveal that they had been subverted and then mutated by the Monolith using modified Brain Scorchers designed specifically against their species. This subversion was believed to have taken place several hundreds of years ago.

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9022 CE

The war rages on.

Monolith forces overrun various outer colonies and begin targeting the C-Consciousness Nodes and transmitters which are essential for controlling the Zones. As these nodes are destroyed, human control over the Zones weaken, and thousands of years or work and repair are destroyed in a violent instant.

These objectives also reflected the strategy used by Monolith forces during the First Long, Dark War, leading senior analysts to conclude that the Monolith's main objective is not to destroy or subvert humanity, but to destroy the C-Consciousness and destabilize the humanity's Noosphere. For what purpose, however, analysts could speculate.

9024 CE

Investigation of the insect-like creatures known as the _Rachni_ reveal that the Rachni homeworld is a planet called Suen. Though we did not know the location of Suen at this time we did know that it was the new Monolith Capital world, just as Eden had been during the First Long Dark War. Along with Parnack, the Yahg homeworld, Suen supplied Monolith with the armies it required to wage war against _Sol_ and her colonies.

These aliens were commanded by heavily mutated Monolith-aligned humans, hulking monstrosities with twisted features and unparallelled powers. These invaders scream out their battlecry across human controlled worlds: "All Hail the Monolith."

9070 CE

The war has grounded to a vicious stalemate. Freedom's mutant auxiliaries battle with Rachni on the surface of humanity's planets, Tribe vessels trade weapons fire with Monolith ships and Duty's mechanized and drone legions defend critical areas from Yahg attacks.

The seemingly endless numbers of the Monolith's armies was nothing like humanity had ever seen before.

9750 CE

After centuries of vicious warfare, the Monolith incursion and their subverted alien armies are beaten. This century-spanning war became known to humanity as the Second Long Dark War. The remnants of their armies were forced to retreat beyond human explored space, but an expeditionary force was quickly set up to pursue these remnants and to destroy them once and for all.

This war cost us millions of lives, destroyed critical infrastructure which had been built up over the centuries, and had set back thousands of years or work and development. The Noosphere was once again unstable, and our worlds and colonies were desolate. Human planets are littered with shattered war machines and the dead, while many of our underground cities have become real tombs.

But despite all this, humanity arose from these terrible times stronger than ever. The war had taught us how to harness the powers of artifacts and anomalies into weapons. Our armies and fleets were tested and they were not found wanting. Against the hordes of the Monolith, we stood strong, and we came out of the other side bloodied but indomitable.

9809 CE

Tribe operatives led by the legendary David Anderson discover that the top commander of the Monolith forces is a former Stalker by the name of "Scar."

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10,087 CE

After centuries of skirmishes and exploration, we finally found the Monolith capital world: Suen. Upon the planet, we discovered billions of Rachni, ready and willing to make a counterattack against us at any time. A similar situation existed on Parnack when we found it a year later.

Given what we've learned, a difficult decision was soon reached: We had to do to Suen and Parnack what we had done to the first Monolith colony of Eden: Complete Planetary Destruction.

Though there were many detractors, it became incontrovertibly clear that whatever the Yahg and the Rachni may have been in the past, they had been turned by the Monolith into disfigured mutants, completely bereft of free will and agency.

With this decision reached, the major factions sent in their fleets and their warheads. Like Eden several millennia ago, Suen and Parnack's mantle were distorted by the awesome power of artificially generated emissions created by the Emission Warheads; and the planets crumbled from the pressure of their own collapsing core.

The Second Long, Dark War was concluded in a clear and decisive victory. The destruction of Suen and Parnack resulted in the extinction of both the Rachni and the Yahg and the succeeding years would be characterized by efforts to hunt down the remnants of Monolith forces inside and outside human territories.

This was the first time that humanity had encountered alien beings, and it did not bode well that such an encounter ended in the extermination of the latter.

10,088 CE

Unbeknownst to humanity, the main Monolith fleet was neither at Parnack nor at Suen when our main fleets attacked. The Monolith knew that humanity would not stop until every last one of its followers and minions are dead, but this did not matter, for the Rachni and Yahg incursions were simply part of a much larger plan.

Scar, who commanded the semi-mutated humans aligned with the Monolith, ordered his remaining vessels to travel beyond the galaxy, to a very specific area of Black Space where Harbinger and a dozen thousand subverted Reapers - now loyal to the Monolith - waited.

10,090 CE

In order to prevent a situation similar to the Rachni from ever happening again, _Sol_ and the major factions orders further exploration missions to ascertain if Monolith forces have subverted other alien species.

At the forefront of these missions were the Stalkers who, being unaligned to any of major factions, were the most _politically_ convenient choice for exploring planets and star systems beyond human controlled space.

Also, analysis of damaged and destroyed Monolith vessels reveal that they possessed hybrid Noospheric and Mass Effect technology. This discovery prompts renewed interest on the Mass Relays as well as Mass Effect technology, and Ecologist scientists soon begin studying the Mass Relays.

10,124 CE

Human Stalkers discover Thessia, and investigate it for possible Monolith infiltration. Among these was the legendary Stalker, Alexander Degtyarev, who at that time secretly took on the mission for reasons known only to himself.

Hints of Monolith activity were soon found in the largest city state on the planet, when a powerful Asari figure by Sovanta Harakoni and her followers began proselytizing about a creature known as the "Great Tower," and supplanting the cult of Athame, which was the largest religious group on Thessia at that time.

To make matters more suspicious, Sovanta and her followers also displayed behavior and abilities associated with Noospheric interference. Acting upon these clues, Degtyarev along with his team of Stalkers 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.

Analysis of Thessia's Noosphere also reveal a hyper-stable field. Even when compared to pre-Zone Earth, Thessia's Noosphere was unsually stable. This discovery prompts the interest of Ecologist researchers, who send in research teams to analyze Thessia's Noosphere.

10,130 CE

Human Stalkers discover the Salarian homeworld of Surkesh and investigate it for possible Monolith infiltration.

Like Thessia, Sur'kesh's Noospheric field was also discovered to be surprisingly stable.

10,131 CE

Human Stalkers discover Palaven, and investigate it for possible Monolith infiltration. Coincidentally, this was also the same year that the Turian species discover the use of finger quotes.

Like Thessia and Sur'kesh, Palaven's Noosphere was, to quote one analyst, "extremely stable compared to our own."

10,133 CE

Human Stalkers discover the Krogan homeworld of Tuchanka and discover widespread Noospheric interference in the least hospitable areas of the planet, which only meant one thing: Monolith presence. Fortunately, the interference had not yet formed into full fledged Zones, and, therefore, reversible.

Analysts believe that the Monolith may have been attempting to do to the Krogans what they had done to the Yahg and the Rachni, which meant that they arrived right in the nick of time.

They soon discover heavy Monolith presence on Ruam, Tuchanka's neighboring planet in the Aralakh system. Within the same year after this discovery, a strike force of Tribe and Duty forces descended upon Ruam and exterminated all Monolith forces hidden there.

10,136 CE

Human Stalkers discover Kahje, homeworld of the Hanar and investigate it for Monolith infiltration. Stalkers are soon worshiped by the Hanar as gods of alcohol, war and fertility, much to their annoyance.

10,140 CE

Human explorers discover Rannoch, Karshan, Rakhana and Irune within the same year, and begin to investigate these planets and their inhabitants for Monolith infiltration and Noospheric disruption.

Human understanding of Mass Effect technology continues to grow, but most resources are still allocated for Noospheric research and for restoring the C-Consciousness network damaged during the war.

10, 147 CE

"Prothean archives" are discovered on the various alien planets. These discoveries pique the interest of all the major factions, and interest in Mass Effect Technology increases as a result of these discoveries.

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孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.

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10,150 CE

Despite strict mandates by all the major factions to confine themselves to investigating signs of Monolith activity, Stalkers on all alien planets begin interacting with the natives, sometimes helping and sometimes exploiting them.

Stalkers teach the Quarians and the Batarians agriculture, metallurgy to Turians and mathematics to the Salarians.

Stalkers teach Batarians how to create stone houses.

The Hanar continue to worship the Stalkers. One Stalker refers to the Hanar as "those big stupid Jellyfishes."

Stalkers reorganize Krogan society in order to better secure them against possible future Monolith infiltration. Clan warfare is replaced by a more bureaucratized system of government and social relationships.

Asari begin to refer to Stalkers as the "Stakar," and view them as semi-divine beings. Stalkers also inadvertently teach them how to make Vodka.

At around this same period, Ecologist scientists discover something strange about the Noospheres of the other alien races.

Even when compared to the Earth's pre-Zone Noosphere, these planet's Noospheres were extremely stable, and were in a constant state of equilibrium.

Analysis of this data led to a simple conclusion. It was not that the alien worlds were hyper-stable. It was actually the fact that humanity's own Noosphere - even before the Zones appeared - had always been extremely chaotic

One Ecologist succinctly expressed it perfectly: "We are an insane species."

10,300 CE

Human probes continue to watch over the planets of the infant Citadel races, to make sure that neither the remnants of Monolith nor the Monolith entity itself would return to subvert the alien species.

12,000 CE

The Scars of the Second Long Dark War had been wiped clean, and some would say, forgotten. All Monolith forces were presumed to be dead, and the Zones on all human occupied planets have once again been stabilized.

Human civilization had grown and there are now 7 billion humans alive at this time. Noosphere technology is almost perfected and new insights into Mass Effect Technology is opening great opportunities for humanity. Even the factions have grown to tolerate each others' existence.

It was also during this time that our powers matured. We could now control the C-Consciousness Network to manipulate reality itself. Our planets became places of wonder and power. Perfected synthetic artifacts give us powers that ancient humans would have ascribed to gods, while the psy-powers of the new generation continue to improve by leaps and bounds.

But despite such improvements, humanity is still bound to the Sarcophagi, to the C-Consciousness, for the C-Consciousness and the Noosphere is the center of our very existence. We will forever be shackled to these, even though they give us untold power and immortality, for without them we cannot control the Zones; and without the Zones, we are nothing.

This will never change.

14,000 CE

The mutants that we have uplifted - the blood suckers, the controllers, the Chimera, the Burers and all the others - begin forming civilizations right next to our own.

They begin to refer to humanity, as the Elder Race, their progenitors.

17,899 CE

The golden age continues, but there are signs of unrest and trouble. Among these is the previously secret Freedom sub-faction known as Cerberus.

Cerberus' leaders an ancient human named _Sultan_ and an ex-mercenary, Jack Harper, have committed several acts of 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬. Sultan is also believed to have been a Bandit leader back when the First Zone first appeared, making him as old as the first Stalkers.

Analysis of Cerberus activities conclude that they have acquired substantial amounts of 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬. In any case, Cerberus was correctly identified as a dangerous threat, but efforts to apprehend either Sultan or Harper have failed at this time. Later attempts were 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬孬.

22,553 CE

Human Noospheric technology begins to stagnate. After several thousand years of massive technological progress in the field of Noospheric and Psy-frequency, researchers had reached their limit. There were certain things about the Noosphere which simply could not be expressed in Scientific or Rational terms. Though the mutated parts of humanity was in tune with the Zones, the human mind with all of its empirical biases and limitations could not perceive what is part of its very nature.

As one scientist said, "We know everything about the Zones, except for what it is, and that we will never know."

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* * *

Codex:

"Emission Warheads"

High Yield Psy-Catalyst Energy Compression Warheads or "Emission Warheads" are special high grade munitions developed by the various factions during the latter half of the 孬孬孬孬孬孬孬 Century.

These warheads were designed to create, what is commonly known in the scientific community as, Noospheric rifts, essentially holes in reality, which then lead to the formation of localized emission fields. These emission fields then build up momentum, leading to a cascade effect that creates hundreds of small, temporary thermal and electromagnetic anomaly fields within the affected area. These fields then gain mass and energy at exponential rates dependent on the Noospheric intensity of the planet where the warhead has been deployed.

Within a planet's mantle, such fields could create cataclysmic reactions that would cause the mantle to "collapse" on itself, causing the planet to literally explode into several pieces.

For additional information about these weapons and their technical specifications, please acquire a Halo-78H clearance from your local colonial magistrate.

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* * *

"I know that's you Tarasov. What are you looking for?"

"Ah Alex. Still vigilant as ever. I'm impressed you found me this quickly."

"What are you doing here, Misha? What are you hoping to find in the past."

"We're both looking for the same thing, Alex. You know that."

"Strelok was here?"

"Yes, he was searching for something in the historical archives."

"What?"

"I don't know."

"I see... Let me come to you Misha. We can talk this over."

"No."

"Why?"

"Blyad! Don't start Alex. Please. We're both far too old for this shit."

"Why did you disappear?"

"For the same reason that you have. We lived far too long my friend. It's hard to believe, isn't it? 46,000 years we have lived. 46,000 years since the Zones stripped us of our humanity. Are we gods or we demons?"

"Come back Misha. Strelok is still out there. There is still hope. Together, we can find him."

"Is there? Don't pretend not to know Alexander Degtyarev! You of all people should know better!"

"I do!"

"No, you don't, but perhaps Strelok holds the key to our salvation. Perhaps"

"Perhaps he does. Let me come to you Misha. Let us fight together like old times."

"No, Alex. I'm finished. I've lived far too long _Tovarich_ , as you have, as have our entire specie. Let me rest with my Nooria. I miss my beloved, and I plan to join her soon."

"Misha..."

"Goodbye Alex. I will never forsake my humanity, even if you have."


	6. Chapter 6

Rewrote Chapter Three. So some of you may want to re-read that before reading this.

* * *

There is a legend among marginalized Salarian cults in the wild hinterlands of Sur'kesh's great plains that speak of ancient evils that dwell in the darkness between stars and galaxies. Ageless, and supposedly over a billion years old, these creatures had once sought to consume all advanced life.

The cults' legends say that these terrible and ancient monster-gods had claimed countless civilizations in aeons past, devouring them for some unknown purpose. Their slaughter held no end until they encountered the magics of the Sto'kor.

Fighting for their very survival, the Sto'kor sorcerers waged a vicious war against the demon-gods. Entire stars and worlds were supposedly destroyed in this conflict, but ultimately, it was the Sto'kor that prevailed.

However, although the Sto'kor defeated the demon-gods, they lacked the power to completely destroy them, and thus could only the banish Demon-Gods beyond the " _realm of light and stars and into a place of darkness_ ," there to lick their wounds and plot their revenge for the coming day when they could once again return and make war upon all living worlds...

\- An Excerpt from: _Ancient Salarian Beliefs and the Sto'kor Myth Cycles_ \- _A Contemporary Analysis, by Dr. Mura Sokun_

* * *

 _I hate this planet!_

This was the foremost thought in Saren Arterius' mind three days after he had arrived on the alleged " _Shakari"_ planet, Shanxi for his undercover mission.

 _I really hate this planet._

And he had good reason to hate _Shanxi_. There was just something _wrong_ about it. The place felt _grey_. Not grey in the sense that it had too many clouds or that it looked drab. In truth, this Shakari planet had many lush forests and grass-filled steppes, most of them filled with all kinds of flowers growing with vitality, right next to clear, flowing rivers. The planet's sky was also bright and blue, open and free and, according to the scanners, her oceans were clear and pure. Were it not for the ruins that dotted the landscape and the traces of ancient warfare, Shangxi could easily have been described as a paradise world.

But despite such features, Saren could feel nothing but misery from it.

 _The Spirits here are miserable_ , he thought.

Turians believe that places have "spirits" which transcend the individual self. Cities, trees, lakes, mountains and any area of space has its own spirit. Some spirits are benevolent, while others are less so, and Turians pray to them, not for intercession, but for guidance and inspiration.

In this day and age, Turians no longer believe in their ancient religion as much as they used to, but as of this moment, Saren felt a religious urge overtake his sense of balance, and he modified his earlier thought: _The spirits in this place are_ _mad, dangerous even._

Everywhere Saren looked, something sad, angry, terrible and miserable stared back at him, causing the otherwise tough Turian to retreat into his own thoughts. He felt eyes everywhere staring at him, miserable eyes and whispering voices, malevolent in their whispers. He could not articulate any of his misgivings, but it did not matter for he knew that the rest of the expedition felt it as well. They could all feel the wrongness of this place in their deepest selves. He saw the downcast eyes of the Batarian slaves and the tense silence of the mercenaries who worked in and defended Edan Had'dah's camp. Shortly after his arrival, he also heard the whispers of strange happenings beyond the perimeters of the camp, stories of missing patrols and unidentifiable corpses. Needless to say, Saren felt that such stories had some truth in them and that to venture beyond Haddah's encampment - essentially a loose collection of digsites centered around what seemed to have been an ancient spaceport of some kind - was madness.

 _The sooner this assignment is over, the better_ , Saren thought to himself as he walked down the grey stone steps into Edan Had'dah's latest and largest dig site, an ancient Shakari bunker (or underground laboratory – no one's quite sure yet) right next to an ancient Shakari shipwreck.

It was not a long walk, but the darkness along the way made Saren reassess his motives for volunteering for this mission.

Turian Fleet Intelligence had know about Relay 314 for a very long time. In fact, it was in their sphere of influence. They also knew that one of the planets beyond the relay contained _Shakari_ ruins – real _Shakari_ ruins - just like those spoken of in legend, which meant that Palaven had found the only relay that led to the ancient Shakari systems, long considered mythical by most civilized species in known space. The Asari had called them the Stakar. The Krogans named them the Stokar. The Batarians called them the Satakar. The Salarians remember them as the Stokor.

But to the Turians, the Shakari were remembered as demi-gods who possessed magical powers. Yes, everyone knew about the Shakari, and like the ancient Protheans, they had been proven to be real, and not fairy tales. But here was something beyond fairy tales and academic conjecture. Here was a real planet, and upon it, was the remnants of their technology.

"A real _Shakari_ planet," Saren whispered to himself in surprise when he first learned of this assignment from his superiors. Unlike the Protheans, the Shakari left behind very few relics. Oh there were certainly plenty of fragments to be sure – a bottle here, or a tool there – but they were nothing like the caches and beacons that the Protheans had left behind. They were just junk that only attracted the attentions of academics and xenoarcheologists. There were many explanations on why is this so. There were, for example, the rumors that, unlike the Protheans, all traces of the Shakari had been wiped out by some sort of terrible alien power, that all traces of their empire had been hastily erased after they had been exterminated by their enemies. Other legends claim that the Shakari erased all traces of their legacy after some terrible war crushed everything they ever built. Whatever the truth may be, their lack of relics relegated the Shakari to the level of second-class legends, fanciful myths without any importance to the present...

Until Recently. Here was a treasure trove of advanced technology...

 _And it all belonged to the Hierarchy_ , Saren reminded himself, and the thought reignited his fury at the knowledge that Edan Had'dah and his pillagers had somehow made it past 314.

The discovery had all started innocently enough, the Hierarchy had sent out a standard probe on the other side of Relay 314 (a Relay which fell under Turian jurisdiction according to Galactic convention), hoping to find some habitable paradise world for them colonize. Instead, what they found was a planet covered in ancient ruins and battlefields. But these ruins were not Prothean. No, they were – in fact – _Shakari_.

Such a find was massive. The Hierarchy had found a real Shakari planet. They among all of the species in the galaxy were the first to discover a real Shakari planet, and such a find meant potentially great political and technological benefits for the Turians... if only they could exploit it.

And there was plenty to exploit.

LADAR scans revealed ancient warships and weapons half-buried on the planet's surface; cities and spaceports half covered by dirt and greenery. It was a treasure trove of ancient technology.

The only disappointing thing in all of this was that the Shakari planet had no Shakari. Initial scans of the planet's ruins indicated that none of them were inhabited save perhaps by animals and critters which had taken over the ruins. Such information meant only one thing: the Shakari – like the Protheans – were truly extinct.

 _Or perhaps they simply left the planet_ , Saren had thought skeptically at the time of his briefing, but he did not dare contradict his superiors.

Of course, such a find required secrecy. Unwilling to share their discoveries with the Citadel, who were still considered by the vast majority of Turians as their primary enemies, all records of the discovery were closed until the Hierarchy could muster enough resources and political capital to _secretly_ launch an exploration/archeological/colonization mission onto Shanxi, and such an undertaking will take time, especially since they want everything to be perfectly secret.

To make matters more complicated, the Hierarchy was currently having one of the largest economic crisis it had faced in recent years, and they simply did not have the funds or resources to launch a secret expedition of this scale on their own, for it must be kept secret otherwise, the Citadel will bring their political and economic power to bear in order to strong arm the Turians into sharing their discoveries.

And so, despite many protests, 314 was temporarily closed off until such a time that the Turians could muster the necessary resources to claim that area of the galaxy for themselves.

 _That was a mistake!_ Saren thought angrily, cursing the bureaucrats who faltered in their tasks. _They should have gone in. Damn the consequences. 314 is ours. This planet is ours and all others like it. If the Citadel wish interfere then let them try. We will crush them all!_

Saren's anger was not unfounded, for despite the Hierarchy's best efforts, their secret did not last long. Despite locking down 314, Turian Fleet Intelligence soon found out – to their overwhelming anger – that STG assets had somehow learned of their Shanxi probe scans, which meant that their little secret was not so secret any more. To add insult to injury, Fleet Intelligence still couldn't figure out how the Salarians had gotten hold of their secrets, an irritation which had led to the dismissal of several senior officers in the Turian Intelligence Community as well as a few accusations of treachery among senior officials.

The only bright side to any of this was that the Citadel and the STG in general have not gone public with this information, which meant that they also wanted to keep it a secret, which in turn meant that they also had plans for 314 as well. Thus far, the Citadel had not approached the Turians about their discoveries about the ruins, but Saren knew that this entire situation was bound to explode. The big birds at the top wouldn't say anything, of course, but something bad was going to happen soon.

And it did.

When Fleet Intelligence learned that a certain Batarian smuggler by the name of Edan Had'dah was bribing the fleet commanders who protected 314, in order to secretly move ships and personnel to the other side of the relay, they knew that something was definitely amiss. They knew that although the Batarians probably knew what lay on the other side of 314, they were also certain that the Hegemony would not dare to defy the Hierarchy in such a blatant manner, which only meant that Had'dah was an enigma.

To make matters worse, Edan Had'dah's bribes also seemed to be flowing into the pockets of several high ranking and very powerful Turian Admirals. Fleet Intelligence knew better than to expose the Admirals implicated in this. Despite the patriotic fervor of some of the more righteous members of the Intelligence Community, they know full well the political fallout that will result from that, and how it could destabilize the Hierarchy. Something else was amiss here, something big and ugly.

No, they had to focus their investigations on Had'dah for now. There will be retribution against the corrupt Admirals later, but as of now, they needed to know what Had'dah knew, what he wanted, and most important of all, who was supporting him.

"Hey Tullus!" An old Turian merc called out to Saren as he passed through the door to the main archaeological digsite, waking him from his thoughts.

"Hello, Vareem," Saren replied with the least required courtesy.

For this assignment, Saren was "Tullus Corrion," a veteran mercenary from out of the Terminus Sector. His (fake) dossier - discretely leaked to Had'dah – indicated that he had been involved in several low profile abductions and VIP protection details for various smugglers and merchant princes operating in the Terminus Sector. All in all, he was – or seemed – a good, run of the mill – merc: tough, discrete and willing to obey whatever his clients told him.

"You're early," his fellow Turian pointed out with a smile.

"I like to do things efficiently," Saren replied flatly.

"So you are. You should have joined the military instead of a merc outfit."

Saren did not answer this, so to hide his embarrassment, Vareem decided to change the topic.

"Have you heard the news?"

"What news?" Saren asked politely as he entered his code into the security terminal next to the door. The dig site was essentially a large underground bunker-like structure roughly the size of a small stadium. Over the past few days, Had'dah had diverted most of his workers from the other dig sites to this one due to the large amount of technological relics found here: Mostly data storage devices, navigational terminals, factory equipment and what appeared to have been fuel containers. If Saren had to guess, this bunker used to be some sort of supply depot, but there were also plenty of documents here, leading some of the eggheads to believe that it could be more than that.

Fortunately for the excavation team, only one or two of those strange _anomaly_ fields - one made from electrical energy, while the other released intense heat - existed nearby, and were easily avoidable. Any biohazards that existed were easily cleared away, and now, the bunker was abuzz with activity, all except for the two anomaly fields that were both cordoned off from personnel. The digsite, illuminated by several lighting equipment, presently featured various workers and mercs, working tirelessly to strip it of its ancient treasures, among them, Saren noticed, was Dr. Mura Sokun and his assistant Liara, both of whom had been abducted more than a week ago. He knew who they were of course, and he knew quite well the need to keep an eye on them.

Dr. Sokun's abduction had occurred under very strange circumstances, and Saren was sure that someone other than Had'dah probably planned it.

He would have wanted to know more about Sokun, of course, but the Salarian was not his primary objective. His job was to monitor Had'dah while, according to this superiors, _the situation was developing_.

 _Pah! I hate bureaucrats!_ Saren thought disdainfully, though he knew the reasons for their hesitation.

"What?" Saren asked in temporary bewilderment.

"Your head's really in the clouds today, isn't it?" Vareem said offhandedly.

"Sorry. Got a lot on my mind lately. What did you say again?"

"I said those eggheads Vog captured found something in the dig site, something big."

"Yeah? Whaddey find?" Saren drawled.

"They's found um... I think it was some kind of glow thing-y." Saren's face remained skeptical, but he was willing to keep on listening. "Oh, right! Now, I remember. They's called it an _ar-ti-fack,_ " Vareem said, the sound of the English word mangled by his Turian tongue.

"What's an _ar-ti-fa'ack?_ " Saren asked suspiciously.

"I dunno. That's what the Shakari supposedly called the glow-y things. That Salarian over there," Vareem pointed at Sokun, "said that these glow-y things have some kind of power. Says he read it on one of them records."

This piqued Saren's interest, but he kept his face bored.

"What kind of power?" Saren asked pleasantly in the harsh Terminus accent that most mercs had, thankful that so many of Had'dah's men couldn't keep a secret if their lives depended on it, which probably meant that they were going to be disposed of after all of this was over.

Saren was no stranger to mercs, pirates and slavers. In fact, he had been born in a mercenary outpost out in the Terminus, so despite his reputation as one of the best agents in Fleet Intelligence, he also had no trouble "slumming" with colonial Turians.

"Well, it happened when one of Had'dah's expendables – you know, slaves - had an accident. Idiot was curiously poking his nose into one of those anomaly things. Electrocuted. Batarians – When they's smart, they's smart, but when they's dumb, they's dumber than a sack of bricks. "

"Did the Batarian slave die?"

"Deader than the Protheans, but what was really interesting was this glow-y ball thing which floated near the anomaly field. The poor bastard was trying to grab it, see? Well, he got it, but he accidentally touched the anomaly too, so got his prize extra crispy."

"Was this _glowy thing_ – this _ar-ti-facka_ \- a Shakari device?"

"If it was they probably used it for a power or something, because that thing created a lot of electricity," Vareem said, eager to please. "But what's really interesting is that none of the glow-y thing's electricity harms you while you hold it. When one of the egg-heads gots the thing from the dead slave's hands, why he nearly shat his trousers when that thing sent out sparks. Yelped like a little pyjak too. Har Ha ha."

"Interesting. Where is it now?" Saren asked with obvious curiousity.

"Oh Had'dah came in and quickly took it away. If you ask me that Batarian really needs to..."

Vareem's voice was drowned out by the alarm on his Hardsuit, indicating that his shift was officially over.

"Whoops. Looks like we'll have to finish this at another time," Vareen said good naturedly and added with a wink, "I got a hot date tonight. I'll see ya later, Tullus."

Saren grunted an answer. His way of saying "no comment."

But Vareem did not leave yet. He edged close to Saren and said conspiratorially. "I don't want to make you edgy or nothin', but keep an eye on the Asari," he pointed his head at the young Asari maiden who was working closely next to Sokun.

"Why?" He had asked, with some amusement.

"Have you been sleeping under a rock? That's Benezia's daughter. Very dangerous Asari matron."

"Matriarch," Saren corrected, and he cursed himself for that was a mistake.

"I thought you didn't know who she was? Never mind. Just keep an eye on her. Vog and his boys were not supposed to capture her. Only the Salarian."

"Sokun."

"Yes, Sokun. Vog claims that it was all a mistake, that he had to grab her too because she was interfering or something. Varren shit if you ask me."

"It could have been an accident," Saren said, playing devil's advocate. Saren already knew all of the details _that he was allowed to know_ behind Sokun's abduction – including Vog's fuck-ups - but it was interesting to hear the rumors circulating among the grunts and the workers, and he suspected that there was something behind the conspiracy theories.

"Maybe," Vareem conceded, though he was not convinced. "Well, it's nice talking to you, Tullus. Just keep your eyes open, okay?"

Saren grunted a response, and when the other Turian had left, he examined the recording device that he had placed in one of the dark corners of the dig site, a small device cleverly designed to look like a pebble. Thus far, the device recorded everything that happened while he was gone, so he was not at all concerned that he had not seen the "glow-y" thing.

He was gathering all of the information his mission required.

Saren, however, never liked these undercover missions. It was not in his nature to engage in subterfuge, but such was life in Turian Fleet Intelligence. If he had his way, he would have simply grabbed Had'dah and killed his lieutenants, and once he was through, he would summon the fleet down onto this damn planet and claim it for the glory of the Hierarchy.

But the better part of him stomped down on such thoughts mercilessly.

There was more to Had'dah than meets the eye. Someone powerful was backing the Batarian, and they wanted to know who. To make matters more complicated, the Primarch also did not want the diplomatic and political fallout that will result from direct military action against someone like Had'dah who has many political connections not only in the Hegemony, but in the Hierarchy as well. The political embarrassment that this would cause would be... problematic to a lot of powerful people.

Saren knew – not suspected, knew - that Had'dah had a lot of powerful friends in the Hierarchy. He wouldn't be here on this planet if he didn't. 314 belonged to Palaven, and any smuggler attempting to pass through it or bribe its fleet was going to end up in a world of hurt. The fact that he was prepared to be here in person meant that a lot of powerful people were watching Had'dah's back, and that did not bode well.

Furthermore, Had'dah was also a powerful Batarian, and you do not confront powerful Batarians, especially if you're Turian military, because to do so would be to undermine the very delicate understanding that the Hierarchy had with the Hegemony.

Presently, the Batarians were officially neutral to both the Citadel and the Hierarchy. Unofficially, however, most of the Hegemony found it more prudent to side with the Turians, seeing them as the weaker of the two powers, and therefore less of a threat to their long term interests. This unofficial partnership meant that the Turians ignore whatever illegal or slaving activities the Hegemony does outside Turian space and in exchange the Batarians support the Hierarchy in their cold war with the Citadel.

Normally, Saren liked this arrangement. They needed all the friends they could get against the overwhelming power and economic might of the Citadel; but he was no fool either. The Batarians knew that the Turians needed them, and such knowledge often makes them quite abusive in their relationship. For Saren, this would certainly be the case _if_ – and it was a big if – Had'dah had the Hegemony's blessing for this undertaking.

And this – among other goals – was his mission on Shanxi: To find out if Had'dah was working on his own, or if he was being supported by his government.

The last thing the Hierarchy wanted was to antagonize the Hegemony into the waiting bossom of the Citadel. Damn them! And so here he was, playing this stupid cloak and dagger game. His superiors had been very clear about their orders. Before the Hierarchy could take Had'dah down, they had to make sure that he did not have the support of the Hegemony. If not, there would be hell to pay, and there was plenty of hell for everybody.

After making sure that everything was not amiss, Saren sat himself down on a slab rock and carefully kept his eyes open. Soon his thoughts wandered over to Liara T'soni, Sokun's assistant. He had read her dossier, including the reports on the abduction. As a seasoned, intelligence operative, it was clear to him that the abduction had been an inside job, which only reinforced the theory that Had'dah had support from factions within the Citadel.

Liara T'soni is Matriarch Benezia's daughter. Is it possible...

 _Is Liara T'soni here by accident, or is she playing a more dangerous game?_ He wondered. Asari society was obsessed with the Shakari. Is it possible that Thessia is supporting Had'dah?

Saren frowned at the thought and focused his thoughts again on T'soni. Despite having been abducted, the young maiden looked fine, almost excited even.

 _If I were Had'dah, I wouldn't want her to see anything she could tell her mother unless..._

Saren's thoughts suddenly considered the possibility that Liara T'soni may not be what she appears to be. T'soni looked like a frail, gentle archaeologist, but considering what he knew about the circumstances of her abduction, was it possible that she could also be her mother's pawn?

 _Damnations_. He made a quick note to check on that hunch as soon as he could. Saren was not normally this paranoid, but this mission was getting him very edgy.

Curious to know more, Saren got up from his seat and leaned on a wall on one of the darker corners of the bunker, taking special care not to expose the small state-of-the-art laser mic embedded into his hard suit. He had been using this mic for the past few days, listening in on most Had'dah's men, including Sokun and T'soni.

He activated the device, and their distinct voices soon came through clearly, though slightly flat and metallic due to the environment. Both the Salarian and his Asari protege were resting on one of the study areas, at the center of the digsite, discussing what appeared to Saren several records from Had'dah's other digsites.

"You're certain?" came T'soni's distinct Asari voice.

"Positive. Had'dah wants us to find something. All the things we've excavated thus far are certainly important, but he knows something that we don't, and he's looking for it." Sokun's crisp Salarian voice answered.

"And what do you think he's looking for?" terraformed

Sokun paused, trying to find a good answer, and then his thoughts burst out in a deluge. "If I had to guess it has something to do with how the Sto'kor had _Sur'keformed_ this planet. You've seen all the "anomaly" fields and the "emissions" and all the other wonders we've seen on this planet over the past few weeks. None of these are natural. These phenomenon hint at some kind of arcane technology. Imagine what else we could discover here over a year."

"I can't imagine what kind of technology could create any of the phenomenon we've seen," answered Liara skeptically.

"Neither can I, but I suspect that Had'dah knows. I think that's why he's here. It's his prime goal, and I believe that everything else we've recovered thus far – all of the relics the Sto'kor left behind his - is secondary..."

The sound trailed off as the mic's laser faltered. Saren hissed a curse and quickly tried to fix it, taking care not to get noticed.

"... but I'm an archeologist," Sokun's voice continued, as the mic began functioning again, "not a soldier. I wish... sigh."

"You're tired," came T'soni's gentle voice through the recording device, trying to be reassuring.

"So are you my dear, but I wouldn't dream of resting now," he replied. The old Salarian Academic, a frail looking creature smiled to his apprentice and continued examining whatever it was he was studying. "Look here! Magnificent isn't it?"

"The _Noosphere_ is," the Salarian said the strange word reverently, as if it opened new discoveries previously unknown to living creatures, "an energy field that allows sapient beings to manipulate reality itself. Imagine! A totally unknown and ground-breaking field of study that could revolutionize Galactic Civilization. Just as the Protheans gave us Mass Effect technology, we are about to uncover the Sto'kor's Noosphere technology. And we are here when it happened." He paused briefly. "Ahhh. Forgive my enthusiasm, but this is all quite stupendous, wouldn't you agree, Liara? If only the records were not so corrupted then we could make faster progress."

Liara said something that the mic didn't catch, and by the time, Saren had fixed the temporary malfunction, Sokun had also said something that he didn't catch.

"Do you think..." Liara paused, and Saren wished that he could get closer just to see their faces. "Do you really think they're extinct?"

Sokun too paused to gather his thoughts. "I don't know," he said surprised at his own voice, "I really don't know. Had'dah certainly believes that they're all gone, but... I really don't know."

Saren squinted his eyes to see the new items Sokun was studying now. It was a series of notes on his Omni-Tool. He would have wanted to examine the information there himself, but he knew better than to try. _At least for now._

The Salarian then said something that the mic didn't catch and Saren cursed the temporary malfunction of the the device. _State of the art_ _my hump._

"Yes," T'soni answered to whatever it was Sokun said, "but I still find all of this implausible... All of this sounds almost like magic, and this Noosphere defies all known laws of physics." Her voice shifted uneasily and she quickly changed the subject. "Do you think Mr. Had'dah will let us examine that _artifact_ found earlier?"

"Doubtful," the Salarian answered in an annoyed tone. "That fool only thinks in terms of credits. He'll probably send it to a lab to see how that _thing_ was created, and how it is related to the anomaly fields. And then the greedy scum will sell it to the highest bidder!"

"Professor, please. Don't talk like that. There are recording devices everywhere." The Asari's statement made Saren smirk.

"Yes, professor. There are indeed recording devices everywhere," Saren whispered.

The Salarian academic chuckled. "I am not worried about Had'dah, Liara. He won't harm us. Believe me, he won't. He won't." His voice trailed off, as if talking to himself.

"There's something you're not telling me," she said. Saren narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and he looked intently at the two xeno-archeologists, wondering about their motives.

"Had'dah... Had'dah has many friends. That's all I can tell you. For your own safety," Sokun answered with a tired voice.

Liara paused for a few seconds before answering, giving vent to the thoughts in her mind. "Our abduction was planned by very powerful people, wasn't it?"

Sokun didn't answer, and Saren tensed.

"Is the Citadel involved?"

"I don't know," Sokun lied, and something in Saren _felt_ the lie, though he could not prove it.

Liara paused again and asked another question. "Are the Turians involved?

"I don't know," the Salarian's answer came out the second time, and this time, it was honest.

"Goddess. I wish the Turian War had not happened," Liara said as an offhand remark, as she fiddled with something that Saren couldn't see from his vantage point.

"Me too," Sokun answered sadly.

 _Me too,_ Saren thoughts echoed.

Palaven's first contact with the Citadel occurred during one of the most tense periods in Turian History: The Unification War. At that time, the Hierarchy had been engaged in a long and protracted civil war with its colonies.

Numerous colonies had broken off ties with Palaven and proclaimed their independence from the Hierarchy. In an effort to expand their own power and resources, some of the rebelling colonies began opening Mass Relays, hoping to find new planets to exploit for the war effort. This war-driven expansion, however, was not without its consequences, for one of these colonies stumbled upon a joint Citadel mining colony at the edge of Citadel space.

At first, the Citadel were joyful to learn about existence of the Turians, and were prepared to send out a diplomatic team to meet with both the Hierarchy and the rebels in the interest of establishing diplomatic contact, but fate had not been so kind...

No one knows precisely what happened, and multiple versions of the event had been floated around since the event, but the Citadel mining colony was attacked by an unidentified Turian fleet a few days after first contact. Hundreds of Asari Salarians and Krogans died during the attack, and public outrage exploded on Tuchanka, Thessia and Sur'kesh, calling for the immediate mobilization of the entire Citadel fleet against this newly discovered hostile and barbaric race.

On the Turian side, the rebels claimed that it was the Hierarchy that did it, hoping perhaps to use the Citadel to attack the rebel colonies and thus galvanize public opinion against an outside enemy. The Hierarchy, on the other hand, claimed that it was the rebels who did it, hoping to discredit Palaven as an aggressive and xenophobic government to both the Citadel and the Turian public. A less popular theory claimed that it was the Citadel which attacked their own colony, perhaps hoping to get a _cassus belli_ to attack both the Hierarchy and the rebel Turian colonies.

Despite all of the conspiracies, no one knew who did it, and the Krogan taskforce sent to "stablize" the situation had been given uncertain strategic objectives. The Citadel had never encountered a hostile alien race before, and they did not really know how to proceed, with the Salarians, Asari and Krogans arguing over what to do with the Turians and the difficult situation that they were in.

Needless to say, all of this was a recipe for disaster. Without clear orders and little strategic clarity, the Krogan fleet and armies ended up attacking, occupying and in some cases bombarding Turian colonies with little purpose in mind. Such attacks eventually led to a ceasefire between the Hierarchy and the rebels, and all Turians united against what they perceived to be aggression from alien powers. With the Turians united under one banner, the Citadel incursion eventually turned into a stalemate with both Turian fleet and the Krogan taskforce unable to dislodge each other.

After months of bloody war, and the lack of will to escalate the conflict any further, both the Citadel and the Hierarchy finally agreed to a truce, much to the outrage of their respective public. Unfortunately, by the time the situations had been "stabilized," the damage had already been done. Millions had died, and there was plenty of blame to go around.

A long time ago, the Hierarchy would have had no compunctions in joining the galactic community, but after the bloodbath of what was now known to the Turians as the First Contact War, that dream was now down in the toilet. Most of the Turian public today still hated the Citadel, particularly the Krogans who had carried out most of the massacres, and many in the Citadel felt the same way about the Turians who were perceived as a race of fanatics.

Overall, the First Contact War claimed millions of casualties, dozens of destroyed ships, and the peace that followed could only be described as a state of cold war between the Hierarchy and the Citadel, a tense situation that has lasted for generations, and exists even today.

"Me too," Saren repeated to himself sadly, but he quickly shook away the self-pity of the past in order to focus once more on his targets. Sokun and T'soni were once again talking about their discoveries. They spoke more about the relics they found in the bunker earlier, a little about Shakari lore and the nature of the strange phenomenon known as anomalies. All of this went over Saren's head, and as far as he concerned, all this talk about Noospheres and artifacts was all a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

But just as Saren was about to direct his laser mic to a different target, shouts and screams took away his attention. The Batarian slaves who excavating the digsite began running for the door, which caused the guards to yell and snarl at them to remain in place.

Scanning the entire space of the bunker, Saren found the source of disturbance. It was some kind of floating light, a phosphorescent ball of energy that floated and twirled among the machinery and discarded equipment that the slaves had left behind. Saren didn't know where it came from, or indeed what it was, but his gut warned him to be careful. This was no ordinary phenomenon, and Saren's instincts warned him that this ball of energy had a will and a purpose, a glimpse into powers far beyond the reckoning of mortal races.

Reacting to the intrusion, several guards attempted to point their weapons at the thing, but the strange ball of light of emitted a burst of energy that caused Saren's (and everyone else's) eyes to blur and lose focus. An instant afterwards, the guards' weapons were wrenched from their hands as if by some malevolent and mysterious power. The weapons then floated around and around the being of light as if moved about by a small tornado, and in the climax of flying, the creature crumpled all of the weapons into junk metal the way a hand might crumple delicate flowers.

The demonstration of power was not lost on all the observers and they became even more afraid. Dumbfounded and ignorant of what was taking place, everyone in the digsite, including Saren, looked on with fearful eyes, afraid of the power that they had just witnessed, and they stood there unable to move, perhaps due to fear, or perhaps due to the malevolent presence of the strange being of light. Many tensed to flee, waiting only for the first coward to signal the retreat.

As if sensing their fear and their compulsion to flee, the ball of light issued a command: _Be Still!_

Saren stood dumbfounded, for he heard not the sound, but _thought_ it in his mind. The words entered directly into his mind. Saren could not explain what manner of strange power allowed the ball of light to speak directly into his thoughts, and his courage faltered even as he saw the light-being grow brighter and more malevolent; for here was the unknown and the unknowable.

He tried to think of a plan to handle this situation, but could not come up with anything. Something in him, the animal part of his brain screamed that here was proof that this planet is not as harmless as previously thought.

 _Be still!_ The creatured repeated, and all those nearby froze, as if they had been cornered by a predator. What the ball of light did to the mercs' weapons prove its power, and they dared not risk further proofs of it. Slowly and with careful, deliberate motion, those who were still in the bunker, including Saren, Sokun and T'soni, backed away from the strange intruder, forming an irregular semi-circle around it, yearning to appease it lest it lash out at them.

After five or so minutes of tense waiting, Had'dah finally entered the bunker surrounded by his best bodyguards and mercenaries, including the Krogan, Vog. The Batarian looked unkempt, his clothes crumpled and his face covered with signs of anger and stress. The normally self-assured Edan Had'dah appeared like he had been woken from a tense sleep, and Saren wondered what thoughts were passing through his mind now.

Ha'dah walked towards the creature cautiously, as if he knew what it was and what it wanted. For its part, the ball of light bobbed up and down, as if it expected Had'dah.

 _Edan Had'dah..._ The creature's mental-voice came through clearly, lucidly and Edan shuddered at being singled out among the people present here. At the mention of their client's voice, the bodyguards Had'dah had brought along immediately raised their mass accelerators, but Had'dah hissed at them to stand down.

"Stop it you fools!" The Batarian hissed, and reluctantly, his soldiers obeyed. Cautiously and with a great deal of hesitation, Edan Had'dah then turned his attention back to the ball of light, which ominously floated in place, indifferent to the fears and emotions around it.

"What are you?" Had'dah asked cautiously, and the creature answered:

 _My kind are called Poltergeist. We are creatures of energy and light. I have been sent by the Elder Ones and the Zone to speak with you,_ the creature said with the same mental intrusion that it had used before, but its seemingly simple statement brought murmurs of questions from everyone present, including Sokun who was now very interested in what the creature had to say.

"Curious..." muttered Sokun, as he slowly and carefully inched next to Had'dah's side to get a better look. "When you say 'Elder Ones' you mean the Sto'kor?"

Had'dah hissed at the Salarian to shut up, but the ball of light had already paused its bobbing briefly, unsure of how to proceed.

 _You mean 'Stalker?'_ the Poltergeist's thought projections corrected.

The mercs and slave workers behind Sokun began whispering excitedly to each other. _Stalker! Satakar, Stakar, Stokar, Shakari, Sto'kor! Stalker!_ Sokun himself lit up as if recieving a special gift from his Dalatrass.

"Yes! _Stal-ker. Sto'kor._ They are your masters. They sent you here, correct?"

The Poltergeist's light seemed to fluctuate and it grew brighter and then dimmer and then brighter again. "Yes," it answered in a toneless way.

The digsite exploded into loud murmurs. The _Stalkers_ – a mythical, ancient race long thought to be extinct – was still alive. _Here was proof! They are still alive! They still exist!_ Saren felt his hump tingle with excitement, and as he looked around, there was no doubt in his mind, that the others here felt the same way as well.

Had'dah was about to say something, but Sokun's academic naivete beat him to it. The Salarian swallowed to give himself courage and muttered. "Will you lead us to them?"

Again, the Poltergeist hesitated, or perhaps it was simply trying to formulate an answer that they could understand. "No."

"Why are you here then?"

"To speak with him." The Poltergeist's glow seemed to point towards Had'dah, but the Batarian's face was frozen in a predatory mask.

"I am honored, but I am curious, how did the Satak- _Stalkers_ ," Had'dah pronounced the English word with difficulty, "know about me?"

The Poltergeist paused, again trying to make sense of what it considered a very simple and obvious question.

 _When you and yours set foot upon our planet you joined into our Noosphere, and **they** control the Noosphere. It is through this process of immersion that your thoughts are opened to the Elder Ones or as you Batarians prefer to call them_ , _the_ _Satakar..._

"This _Noosphere..."_ Sokun interrupted attempting to explain, but Had'dah impatiently waved him away to keep him from interrupting the Poltergeist which had not yet finished explaining.

 _... And also because we captured the glowing machine of the Krogan called Hailot Nex._

"You attacked Nex's squad?" Had'dah asked. Hailot Vog, who stood next to him, looked on angrily as the truth of his kin's fate was gradually proven to him, but he nevertheless kept his mouth shut.

 _Correct. We cornered his patrol during the emission several days ago. The Elder Kin intended to capture him and his men, but certain... complications caused his demise._

"The Satakar killed him?" Had'dah's voice did not betray his worry, but his eyes had lost their predatory character.

 _They resisted,_ was the Poltergeist's ambiguous answer.

Hailot and his Krogan mercs looked visibly upset, but remained quiet.

"We searched for them after the emission, but we couldn't find any trace of Nex or his men," Edan replied, hoping that the Poltergeist would give them more information.

 _The Elder Kin removed their bodies, along with most of their equipment. They required_ **_information._**

"About me and my men?"

 _Correct, and your intentions on this planet._

"I assure you," Edan said with his best con-smile, "our intentions are completely peaceful. My associates and I only undertook our _activities_ here because we believed that the Stal'kers are an extinct species. Had we known that the Satak... Stal-kers still exist we would have attempted to contact them instead of excavating their ruins."

 _Is that why your expedition is kept a secret from your government?_

Edan Had'dah's face darkened and a trembling twitch entered his eyes. Despite himself, Saren smiled at this, even though he could not see Had'dah's face from where he stood near the back. _Well,_ Saren thought, _at least that sort of proves that the Hegemony is not involved._

 _The Elder Kin know about you Had'dah. They know about the Citadel, the Hegemony and the Hierarchy. We have been watching you for centuries with eyes that see beyond seeing..._

And then, as if weary of unnecessary speech, the Poltergeist uttered words that shocked Had'dah with fear: _My role here is to serve as conduit nothing more. I come because the Elder Ones wish to have words with you..._

 _You shall face the Elder ones yourself Batarian, and you would do well to heed their wisdom._

Before anyone of them could ask what the _Poltergeist_ meant, its light grew brighter and brighter, and those within the dig site had to shield their eyes from the glow. Even Saren who had kept himself to the shadows had to squint to see what was going on.

As the light died down, a new voice spoke. It was not the flat, empty mental-projections of the ominous Poltergeist from earlier, but a real voice from what seemed like another creature. How the Being of Light created such sounds proved mysterious to everyone present, and they hesitated in their wonder at the sound that was uttered.

"Warm greetings to all of thee," the voice greeted them in a very ancient form of Thessian, and their Omnitools and translators had trouble translating some of the words, though it was but a short phrase. Where this new _presence_ had learned such an antique form of Thessian they could only guess, but it did deepen the mystery.

The new voice belonged to an old being, perhaps male and more than a little fatherly. There was a certain oldness and weariness to the voice, but also a calm and ominous quality that struck fear into the hearts of those who hear it. "So... thou art Edan Had'dah..." the voice said.

Edan paused unsure of what was going on here, but he was able to retain enough focus of mind to respond in modern Thessian, so that he could be understood. "Who... What are you?"

"I am named _Doctor._ I hath projected mine consciousness unto this Poltergeist in order to speak with thee... all of thee."

Had'dah was about to respond, but his thoughts were interrupted by the gentle voice of Liara T'soni, who was overcome by the almost dreamlike quality of this entire event.

"In Asari legends, there was a _Stakar_ by the name of Duk'tur," Liara said shyly. "Stories say that Duk'tur was a healer, a gentle soul that protected young maidens from demons and tyrants. There are," she hesistated briefly, looking for an accurate pronoun to describe the Sta'kar legend of her youth, " there are legends that Duk'tur taught many the art of healing, and to this day, we revere he for he many gifts."

Liara then paused, her skin feeling a strange tingle as if she was about to meet face to face with a wonderous goddess from antiquity. "Are you... he?"

Laughter erupted from the Poltergeist and it spoke again in ancient Thessian. "Ha! _Duk'tur_. I never thought I would be turned into a legend. A young Asari girl called me thus once. Yes, _Duk'tur,_ she called me. In the tongue of our kind it simply means healer... And you are?"

"I... I am Liara T'soni," Liara said hesitantly, a wide grin on her face. She looked over her shoulder at Sokun and saw that he too was grinning. It was not everyday that you met mythological creatures. It was like stepping into a fairy tale, a dark, disturbing fairy tale upon a planet beyond civilization.

"Well met Liara T'soni. _Zdrastvuytye,_ " Doctor answered, and although he spoke through the stranger creature of light - this _Poltergeist -_ his voice came through as being very warm and fatherly, and something in Liara felt love in it.

"You speak a very old and ancient Asari language," Liara pointed out, though she hesitated much in her speech, "May I know where you've learned it?"

The voice chuckled before responding in a sad tone, "I learned it from Ancient Asari, when I first visited Thessia thousands of years ago."

Liara swallowed hard to keep herself from grasping, and behind her the murmurs grew louder, more fearful but also more excited. She was about to continue, but she was cut off. Angrily, Edan Had'dah suddenly took control of the situation by clearing his throat and edging his way forward, eager to speak with the Satakar before them.

 _T'soni and Sokun's impudent behavior will have to be reckoned with later, preferably in private._ He thought.

"Good _Doctor_ ," Edan Had'dah interrupted in his silkiest voice, "we are most _humbled_ by your presence. We know much about your _kind._ All of the major species have legends about you and all the other Stal'kers." The wheels in his head kept turning and turning, eagerly trying to find a way to use the unexpected discovery that the ancient Satakar were still alive to the Hegemony's advantage. "We apologize for our presence here, but you see, we had thought for a long time that your kind was extinct. To see your kind still alive is quite a surprise to us. This is a truly momentous event for the entire galaxy, and we would be honored to..."

Doctor rudely cut off Had'dah's grandoise improptu speech, with some revelations of his own.

"We call our selves humans. Stalker is merely a title given to those who are not aligned with any particular faction."

"What?"

"Our species are called human," Doctor explained, this time in an ancient form of Batarian that he learned when he last visited ancient Khar'shan and this gave rise to more murmurs among the Batarians who were present. "As for your presence here..." The floating light seemed to look at all of them here, slave, merc, archeologist and Had'dah with a focused and intimidating stare, "you are not welcome. None of you are. You and your entire expedition must leave. At once, and never return. Go back to the Relay from whence you came and warn all your people not to come here."

This message surprised everyone presence, especially since _Doctor's_ voice was kind and gentle.

"You must all leave," he said, "You seek out things which must be left undisturbed." The Poltergeist/Doctor then floated close to Had'dah, and its powers cackled with malevolence. "You _seek dangerous things,_ Had'dah. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

A defiant smile came on Had'dah's face. "Oh, I think we do."

Doctor's laugh was contemptuous, but also filled with hidden sorrows. "The Zone gives many things, but we know what you are after, and it is a thing of great evil."

Had'dah became uneasy. He had thus far concealed the true purpose of his mission from his subordinates, including his most trusted lieutenants. He could feel the surprise and curiosity sparked by "Doctor's" words in them, but how did he know? Does he really know? Was this creature bluffing just to get him and his expedition to leave?

Edan Had'dah's men had thus far assumed that they were here to collect relics, but now this unexpected meeting revealed that there was more to their presence here than they had anticipated.

Doctor continued in the same archaic Batarian language, but this time instead of clear vocal sounds, the thoughts entered exclusively into Had'dah's mind: _We know you're looking for it, Had'dah. We can read your thoughts, and you must know this! The remains of the Reapers must not be found. Let their shattered wreckage rest in the prisons we created for them. We know not how you found this planet, but you and those who support you in the shadows, seek things that will bring destruction on everything. You have no inkling of the terrible dangers that dwell among the stars. Leave now and leave us to our misery and our burdens._

Had'dah yelped backwards in fear, and everyone close by was startled, for none knew what Doctor had said to Had'dah telepathically.

"Dear Doctor," Had'dah began, making his voice as silky as possible, trying to reasonably negotiate with the creature, this _human_. "Please. There is much we could learn from each other..."

But he was cut off.

"This is not up for discussion _Batarian_. You and your people do not understand what your presence here will _do to you_. Leave now before the Zone claims you!"

"The Zone?"

"This Planet! This entire section of the galaxy! Our Noosphere! The Zone! All of human space is the Zone. We have struggled for countless years to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the galaxy, and your presence here threatens our work!" Doctor snapped angrily, his earlier warmth gone. "There are things here that will strip away your mind and soul. Leave now while you still have the means to do so!"

"Are you... threatening me?"

The old voice chuckled, as if amused by the empty bluster. "We are not the ones that you should fear, Had'dah. Many have tried to conquer the Zone. They all failed, and their bodies and souls were claimed by it. Do not make the same mistake. Leave!"

With that, Poltergeist shook as if in a seizure and its light grew fainter. The presence of the one that claimed to be a Stalker was no more, and the Poltergeist began to speak in its flat, emotionless tone.

"The Elder Ones have spoken, Edan Had'dah. For your own sake, you will cease your misdeeds here, and depart. Depart or the Zone will claim you! All of you!"

With its mission done and its message delivered, the big ball of light disappeared into a wall, leaving scores of bewildered mercenaries, xenoarcheologists and worker slaves in bewilderment.

But Edan Had'dah's eyes blazed with anger and something akin to hunger edged up from the depths of his soul. Saren noticed this, but could not be bothered to linger any further. Saren did not wait for the shock to wear off from the others in bunker. Quietly and carefully, he quickly left the area, along with all of his recording devices. Palaven needs to know what he had just discovered. The Shakari are not extinct after all.

They live, and who know what terrors or wonders lingered in the dark corners of the galaxy beyond Relay 314.

* * *

Central Command for Turian Fleet Intelligence, Palaven

The place looked like any other bureaucrat building: drab grey and completely forgettable, but here, in this unimpressive structure, thousands of decisions are made daily; decisions which affect every Turian in every part of the Galaxy.

In the central wing of this building, in one of its lonely, messy offices, the senior operations commander for the Relay 314 taskforce opened the encrypted file from their primary asset on "Shanxi," presently designated "Black Moon One."

The message read:

"Presence of Shield 3 and Shield 4 are confirmed. Confirmed that both were abducted by Blue 8.

The officer looked up to consider the import of this message. Shield 3 was Dr. Mura Sokun, a renowned Xenoarcheologist who specialized in Shakari myth cycles, while Shield 4 was his assistant, Liara T'soni, daughter to Matriarch Benezia, one of the most powerful Asari in the galaxy. The circumstances behind their abduction was very... interesting. From what he knew, the abduction may have been planned _from the inside,_ and if this were true, then Had'dah may have friends in the Citadel, dangerous friends.

He continued reading: "Jade 12 and his slaves continue excavations on Black Moon One. Cannot confirm Nexus involvement. Need more time to find proof."

Jade 12 was Edan Had'dah, while Nexus referred to the Citadel. The officer continued reading.

"Found something else. Shakari presence confirmed. They are still alive! They're still alive, and they want us to leave. Jade 12 refuses. The situation is teeteering on the brink of disaster. Advice you send in military assets as soon as possible. I feel that we're going to get a lot more people on Black Moon One very soon."

The operations commander re-read the message, and after that re-read it again to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

"Spirits!" He snarled, and then activated his terminal to yell all of his anxieties at his secretary. "Get me the Primarch! Yes, now. Right now! I don't care who you have to threaten to do it. Just contact him immediately! We have an emergency here!"

* * *

Codex: Poltergeist

 _Supernatural in the eyes of some, invisible creatures haunting the deeper reaches of the Zone, usually haunting old, abandoned buildings. Nothing is known about their origin, although rumors in circulation claim they are spirits of stalkers hit by a massive wave of radiation. Their mysterious appearances and disappearances seem to correspond to the poltergeist legend, hence the name. Known encounters with poltergeists are quite diverse in fact: from mischievous laughter and blood-chilling howling, to deadly fireballs appearing out of nowhere. Unfortunately, all information about the poltergeist phenomenon originates from unclear and contradictory stories of questionable validity..._


	7. Chapter 7

This is a short update, but the next chapter will feature the Stalkers themselves in their natural habitat, drunk, high and angry.

Also, expect more short stories and Omakes about Stalkers interacting with the alien species in the distant past, including "Sta'kar, Sto'kor, Shakari, Satakari and Sa'kar" myths, legends and children's fairytails (like the one below).

I know some of you don't like reading the timeline, but they are actually quite important because they explain humanity's influence on the known galaxy prior to the events of this story, kind of like how the myths of Numenor influenced the story in the Lord of the Rings.

Only one more timeline remains any way, so it's not that big of a deal.

* * *

It was already late in the evening, in one of Korlus' many low quality, barely maintained hotels, when 7 year old Tal'Zorah nar Rayya vas _Ta'sil_ was awoken from her sleep by the agitated voices of the two other Quarians in the other room. Her room was dark and more than a little dirty, but none of this was as bad to the child as the sound of her parents fighting each other.

Instantly, Tali strained to listen, but her youthful mind reeled from the vile words that erupted from her father and mother. Stirred by a sudden irrational fear, Tali strained to hear for any signs of blows or punches, but none of those came. There were only the hushed, angry words that she pretended not to hear.

Unable to stand the anger that emanated from her parents' voices, Tali turned to the only that gave her comfort: Her Omni-Tool.

It was, her father told, her illegal for civilians and low level government employees to own such things on Rannoch due the government's strict control over any type of technological research. Her father, Rael, told her that such control was the result of the Morning War almost 200 years ago, when the Geth - whatever those are - had rebelled against the Quarian people and tried to exterminate them.

Fortunately, the Quarian people prevailed, with a little help from the Turians. But the Morning War had slain billions, and imprinted upon the Quarian mind a collective fear of technology, turning the once intelligent race of engineers into a race of hyper-primitivists.

 _I don't understand what the fuss is all about?_ Tali told herself, while admiring her Omni-Tool. _There's nothing dangerous about this thing. It's hard to imagine that children in Rannoch don't know anything about Omni-Tools or Eezo. I think father is probably lying, but then again, I've never been to Rannoch._

After a little searching, Tali finally found what she was looking for, a file entitled: _Sa'kar Myths of Rannoch edited and approved by the Rannoch Ministry of Education and Good Conduct. All Hail the Republic!  
_

Tali enjoyed two things: Machines and Romantic Stories, and presently there were no interesting machines for her to fiddle with, so she opened the file and searched for one of her most beloved stories:

* * *

 _Hado'Vashla vas Tuy'val and the Firefly._

Once upon a time...

There was once a maiden named Hado'Vashla. Brave and beautiful was she, born to bravery and nobility. She belonged to the tribe which dwelt in Tuy'val Valley, the gentle oasis where three great rivers met.

As the child of her tribe's chieftain, Hado'Vashla was groomed to marry the son of a neighboring tribe, but fate would not be so kind, for on her sixteenth birthday, Tuy'val Valley was beset by a terrible plague, and brought her entire tribe to its knees.

The first to die were the tribe's many herds, stripping them of their wealth. Later, it killed the very weak and the very old, and even later still, it began to kill the tribe's adults. Hundreds died in a matter of weeks, and it became clear to the tribe that something must be done or they would all perish.

The priests prayed to their ancestors, but they did not answer. The tribe's greatest apothecaries sought new remedies, but these too proved worthless. Wise men sought answers in their visions and omens, but even these could not offer them the salvation they desired.

One day, at the high point of the plague, Hado'Vashla's parents died. Their deaths were not unexpected. They had been sick for days, and with their leader gone, it was only a matter of time before Hado'Vashla's tribe would disappear.

Hardening her heart and wiping away the grief of loss, Hado'Vashla went to the wise men of her village and asked for guidance, but they could offer her no counsel, all except one.

It was Esh'pe'Luvkraf, known to the tribe only as the Mad Prophet. He was known thus, for he often spoke tales of the ancient Sa'kar, and their cyclopean cities beyond the stars, in worlds strange and beyond the understanding of any known Quarian save perhaps the mad ones like him.

And Esh'pe'Luvkraf spoke, "Oh brave Hado'Vashla, truly brave thou art upon the lands of Rannoch, but even thy strength and courage cannot triumph against a plague. But there may be one who can aid us in our times of sorrow."

"Who do you speak of, Esh'pe? Speak plain with me, for our tribe is close to extinction," said Hado.

"Not who, brave princess, but what. I speak of the Sa'kar. They who guarded us and guided us in ancient days, thousands of years ago. Most have gone but a few still linger."

"I have no time for children's tales Esh'pe. Either give me a cure for this plague or leave me to my misery. I have known all about the Sa'kar from tales spoken to me as a child, but I have yet to see one, and even if they had been real, they are probably all gone by now."

"By my soul, noble Hado, I speak no lies. There still lingers one of the Great Old Ones here, and they are our tribe's only hope. They have powers and talismans that rule over life and death itself. So I implore you to seek them out."

But Hado remained unconvinced. "Even if what you say is true, why would the Sa'kar help us?"

"That I cannot answer, fair princess, but we have no other choice. If they cannot or will not help us then our tribe will be lost to the plague."

After much deliberation, Hado'Vashla answered, "Very well Mad Prophet. Speak to me of where this Sa'kar resides."

"Oh fair lady, there is a hidden cave many moons from our village. It is a place sacred to the Sa'kar, and bears much of their magics. They say that in such places, one feels both ecstasy and despair, sorrow and joy. Go there, and if you are worthy, the Sa'kar shall speak to thee. Here let me show you the path..."

* * *

Tali stopped reading, as she heard her mother's voice rise up in anger. They were no longer talking in hushed tones. They were now yelling to each other. Tali went closer to the dirty wall to listen, and sure enough, the fight was getting worse.

"Who is Edan Had'dah? I've never heard of him!" Tali's mother whined.

"I told you he's an antique businessman," Rael'Zorah, Tali's father, answered.

"An antique businessman who asks you to come to one of the shittiest parts of Turian space? Really Rael, do you take me for a fool?"

"Don't take that tone with me. Edan Had'dah probably has a lot of secrets. I'll concede that, but I promise you that his business is big and it's legit. If I take this job, we will have enough money to go to Illium or even..."

"What's the job?" she demanded.

"I'm not sure yet," Rael stammered the answer. "They need me to analyze something. Some rare technology."

" _Keelah!_ That _kind of job_ again? You seem to forget that it's _exactly_ jobs like that that got us living in poverty here in Korlus in the first place."

"Please don't change the topic," Rael pleaded. "Had'dah is offering a lot of money, and he has other Quarian exiles working for him. So please, don't make this hard for me. I'm only thinking about you and Tali."

"You're thinking about yourself, Rael. You always have."

"Please..."

"Don't ' _please'_ me. I've heard it all before," Tali's mother almost snarled. "What if Had'dah kills you, or you get yourself hurt like last time. Remember that we're not on Rannoch anymore. We have no one to depend on but each other."

"Don't you think I know that?" Rael answered a little too loudly. "I know that all too well. That's why I'm doing this. I'm taking the risk. For you. For Tali."

Tali edged away from the wall, just as her mother yelled back a response she didn't hear.

To block out the argument, Tali quickly returned to her tale. She skipped ahead past all of the extra pages and focused on the part that she enjoyed most, the meeting with the Sakar, Stri'deer, for this always comforted her when she was scared.

* * *

After defeating the evil monster, Hado finally entered the golden realm of the Sa'kar wielding on the shattered pieces of her shield and her bent and bloody spear. Though bruised and wounded, she couldn't help but notice the wonder and beauty of this realm. Though but a simple cave, The Sa'kar had filled it with all manner of strange beings and floating lights, and there on a great throne made of gold and amber, at the center of all this wonder, she found her goal.

Finally, after weeks of journey and endless battles, Hado'Vashla found the last Sa'kar on Rannoch: Stri'deer.

Stri'deer was a creature of light, seated upon a throne of gold and amber. Upon his brow was a shining star and his hands blazed with the light of the sun. He smiled upon her with love, and the brave maiden became shy for the Great One was handsome beyond reckoning.

"Great Sa'kar," implored the brave maiden, as she knelt before his throne, "I have traveled far to ask you for a cure to a malaise that is killing my people. Please, great one. Grant me a cure."

"There is no need to speak brave Hado'Vashla. I know what is in thy heart and mind. Thou hath traveled far, but I am forbidden by my elders from aiding you. Our time here on your world is ending. All of my kind must soon pass beyond the veil of Rannoch's skies, back to our home among the stars."

But Hado would not relent, and with tears she threw herself at Stri'deer's feet, weeping.

"Sakar - ancient and wise - please grant me my heart's desire. And in exchange, I shall give you a lock of my hair and a kiss of true love. I give you everything I have. My body and my soul as sacrifice. Please! I implore you. Save my village and take my soul as sacrifice."

And Stri'deer was moved by her courage and self-sacrifice, and to her he gave a magical glowing crystal, partly encased in some strange, alien metal completely unknown to all Quarian blacksmiths.

"Take this, Hado'Vashla of Tuy'val valley. Take this " _Fai-ar-fl-ai."_ It comes from one of our worlds and its magic can heal all wounds and in some cases even restore life. I give this to you for your honor and your courage. Take this to your people and it will heal them of the plague."

"Oh great Stri'deer," Hado cried, "I thank you for your gift, but how can this object help my people."

"Oh thou of little faith. Look! Look at how it heals your wounds now!" And Hado saw indeed that this strange " _Fai-ar-fl-ai"_ was healing her cuts and bruises by simply glowing on them. She gasped in wonder, but the Sa'kar also gave her a warning:

"But you must promise me one thing, young Hado." Stri'deer said. "After you have healed your village, you must hide this object in a place where it cannot be found. Hide it deep and hide it well, for it will bring evil to those who are not worthy. Do you promise?"

"Yea, Great One. I promise."

"Good then I give this treasure to you, Hado'Vashla. May you use it in wisdom."

Hado'Vashla was about to ask Stri'deer about his warnings, but when she looked up to find him, to her surprise, he had vanished, and the whole cave was bereft of light and wonder. It had become just an ordinary cave.

Unwilling to allow herself to gape in wonder, the young princess quickly left this strange place and fled back to her home, hoping against hope that she was not too late and that her village had not perished during her quest. But the ancestors were kind with her, and indeed, not many of the tribe perished during her absence.

Upon returning to Tuy'val, she showed the " _Fai-ar-fl-ai"_ to the elders and together, they used its magic upon all who were stricken by the plague. And lo! The strange device did heal all, including those whom Hado loved most. And there was much rejoicing and praise, not only for the Ancestors, but also for the Great Sa'kar known as Stri'deer.

Months after the plague was beaten and all was well again, Hado'Vashla buried the " _Fai-ar-fl-ai"_ in a secret place not too far away from her village. True to her word, she made sure that no one would be able to use its powers for evil.

And with her duty done, Hado'Vashla, brave daughter of Tuy'val sang a song of thanks to great Sa'kar who dwell beyond the stars. Then she cut off a strand of her hair and offered it and her love to the Great Ones who had passed beyond the realms of Rannoch's starry skies.

And she lived happily ever after...

To this day, no one knows where Hado'Vashla had hidden the strange glowing crystal, the " _Fai-ar-fl-ai"_ which saved her village, but it is said among the old people of Rannoch that if you visit Tuy'val Valley with a clean heart during a silent evening, it shall heal you of all wounds. For the power of the Sa'kar linger in that place, to honor the memory of brave Hado'Vashla.

* * *

Underneath this last line, was the lesson of the story added there by the Ministry of Education and Good Conduct:

 _Children of Rannoch. This story speaks about the lesson of SELF-SACRIFICE. Like Hado'Vashla, you too must be willing t put aside your own personal comforts for the good of the Quarian people and to the continued safety of our Great and Noble Republic. Like her,_ _you must struggle for the continued welfare of our people, and to be eternally vigilant against those who would endanger our lives by tinkering with forbidden technology._

 _Never Forget the Morning War. Never Forget the Mistakes of Yesterday.  
_

* * *

Tali'zorah Nar Rayya vas _Ta'sil_ shut off her Omni-Tool with a feeling of dread. Usually, her parents' fights ended before she finished reading an entire story, but not this time. This particular fight was much worse, and her child's instinct told her that something was amiss here.

Quietly, Tali once again tiptoed to the wall that separated her room from that of her parents. Like before, she listened in on their fight, now filled with half-shouts and accusations.

"We wouldn't be exiles if you had not kept those Geth relics in that wretched bunker!" Tali's mother snarled. It was an old accusation, and one that she liked to use whenever she was losing an argument.

"Not again!" Rael snapped indignantly. "Don't try that again, _please_. I am tired of it."

"Oh? And why not, Rael? Are you afraid to hear the truth? Are you afraid to hear how you ruined my life, and your daughter's life by playing around with those relics? You ruined our lives! You ruined everything! We are _Ta'sil_ because of you. You!" she yelled accusingly.

 _Ta'sil_ was a relatively common word that gained notoriety during the Rannochian Civil War about a decade ago. It meant _traitor_ , and it was a title given to those Quarians who had dared to defy the centuries long ban on advanced tech research, a ban that had been implemented shortly after the Quarian Victory in the Morning War.

Rael'Zorah had been among these Quarians, and he, along with his family, paid for his sins with exile.

"We are _Ta'sil_ because of a bunch of old, stupid fools who are afraid of even a harmless toaster," countered Rael. "The _Technologists_ did nothing wrong. We were trying to make our people great again!"

"How? By playing with outlawed Geth relics?"

"By understanding their technology!"

"Oh, don't make yourself the victim in this Rael!" Mother snarled. "Other Quarians may put up with the selfless martyr act, but I know the truth."

"Oh and what is the truth?" sneered Rael.

"The truth, _beloved,_ is that you ruined my life. The truth is that you're the reason that we are called _vas Ta'sil._ You're the reason that our child will never be able to see Rannoch with her own eyes."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Rael snarled, and Tali could hear furniture break and roughs hands banging the walls.

"Stop that! You'll wake Tali!"

In an effort to defend himself, Rael snarled back, "The Morning War happened over 200 years. 200 years!" He yelled the number like a curse. "And since that time, we've stagnated technology, too afraid of making the same mistakes of the past. I tried to move past that! I tried to make things better. For You. For Tali. For the wretches who couldn't understand the value of my work. Why can't you see that? Why can't you just understand that?"

And Rael continued, "Quarians are known as the fools of the galaxy. Superstitious, afraid of knowledge and scientific learning. We won the Morning War, but at what cost? The Republic would have us turned into a bunch of mindless primitives, shunned and looked down upon by more powerful races."

"Oh spare me the speeches, Rael. I've heard them all before."

"Then you'll hear it again!"

"No, you'll hear this one instead! You didn't need to investigate the Geth to improve our people. You could have investigated all kinds of other technologies, but you didn't. Of all the technologies in the galaxy, you and your _Technologist_ friends decided you wanted to study the remains of the machines that nearly exterminated us," mother answered snidely, and she was right. Regardless of whatever ends or goals Rael wanted to accomplish, regardless of how much he wanted to rekindle learning and knowledge among his fellow Quarians, there was no excuse for what you did."

"You. Are. A. Bitch." Rael sneered at her calmly, as if something had snapped in him, and the sound of his voice, made Tali weep silently.

A series of muffled and cries erupted from the other room, as Tali's parents began hurling accusations of infidelity, incompetence and even infertility at each other.

"I hate you Rael! You Boshtet Shit! I hate you!" Mother cried, and then she threw something at Rael. Whatever it was, it hit him and it was heavy.

Tali heard her father snap back a violent answer, but she couldn't make out the words. Whatever it was, it sounded bestial, partly insane. Her mind froze in despair, and then her ears heard scuffling. There was a loud thud and then another, and Tali heard her mother weeping across the other room.

Realizing what had happened, she quickly ran back to bed and pretended to sleep, doing her best to stifle the sobs coming out of her. Tali wanted to go out to her parents, but she knew better than to do that. Her instincts told her to stay tight.

Several minutes of silence past and no noise came from the other room, except some hushed whimpers and the weeping of her mother.

Finally, Rael opened the door to her room and entered. Like Tali, he too wore a special suit to protect him from Korlus' harsh environment, but Tali could tell that her father had been crying. Slowly and with deliberate focus, he sat next to her bed.

"Hello Tali," he said.

"Father?" she answered gently.

"Did... Did you hear your mother and I?"

She did not answer.

"I see. Well, Tali. I just came here to tell you that I will be on a little business trip, but I suppose you already know that."

Again, Tali remained quiet.

Rael hesitated before speaking again. "I am... working for a Batarian named Edan Had'dah, and he's excavating the ruins of a Sa'kar planet."

"A Sa'kar planet?" Tali's eyes beamed through her visor, and for a moment, she forgot the conflict between her parents.

"Yes, a Sa'kar planet," Rael's voice became slightly happier than before because of the sudden joy in his daughter. "And I promise to bring you a souvenir if you keep it our little secret. Will you keep it a secret?"

Tali nodded her head gleefully.

"Good. it will just be a quick job. I promise, and then we'll have enough money to go live in a better place."

"Mother too?"

Rael paused for a moment. "Yes, mother too," he said and he hugged his daughter as if she was the most precious thing in the universe.

"Goodbye Tali," Rael said with finality.

Tali wished she could say something, something loving, something comforting, but all she could say was:

"Goodbye Father." And with that, Rael walked out of the room and closed the door. The doors hissed shut, and the darkness returned. Tali's body was weary, but her mind desired no rest, and so she laid quietly on her bed, waiting for some sign of what was to come next.

Hours passed after Rael had said goodbye to Tali and her mother's sobs had subsided, but the pain of the fight lingered still. Tali tried to wipe away the tears from her eyes, but forgot that she was still wearing her visor, and so contented herself to shaking the tears away.

Feeling a little stupid, but still more than a little miserable, she opened her Omni-Tool again, and looked at the colored pictures on one of the files. She caressed one of the images, an artist's depiction of what she thought a Sa'kar may have looked like...

"Sakar - ancient and wise - please grant me my heart's desire. And in exchange, I shall give you a lock of my hair and a kiss of true love." She began to pray to the Sa'kar, like Hado'Vashla had long ago. "Please watch over my father as he goes to your planet. Please bring him back alive. Please make him and my mother love each other again. Please make our people forgive us for what my father did."

"Please. help us go home. Please Please. Please."

* * *

Codex: The Firefly

 _A relatively rare artifact, the Firefly emits an unknown type of energy, which considerably speeds up healing in living beings, sometimes bringing people back from the dead in seconds.  
_

 _It interacts with fields unknown to science, considerably speeding up regeneration of tissue and organs in living beings, as well as normalizing metabolic processes.  
_

* * *

 _AN: For those who've never played STALKER, 'Stri'deer' is Strider, the leader of a group of ex-Monolith Fighters. The fairy tale here distorts a lot of historical facts, of course, but what's certain is that Strider had - at one point - intervened to save an entire village of primitive Quarians from a plague using a Firefly Artifact._


	8. Chapter 8

AN: This chapter is meant to be a snapshot of what Human Civilization is like 46,000 years after the appearance of the Zone.

Also, as to issue of the Shadow Broker, he is not a Yahg. The clue to his real identity is in the message addressed to him.

Finally, don't expect Dyson Spheres, giant space refrigerators or a massive empire. I want Stalker humanity to be a dying race that's slowly turning into monstrosities of the Zone. Their Noospheric technology may be considered Speessh Magik, but it's also the kind of Speessh Magik that turns its wielders into mindless mutant monsters.

I want to preserve the general feeling of tragedy and hopelessness in the Stalker series and Roadside Picnic. So expect this fic to be emo as fuck.

* * *

The younger Stalkers often ask me, "What was it like? What was life like before the Zone appeared?"

A fair and innocent question, but one that I've heard many times before. I know what kind of answers they want to hear. They want to know about life back then, back before the Zone appeared. They wish to know about the little things; the foods and drinks. the cities and stories, the scandals and the wars. Like children, they want me to tell them these stories, stories of the past.

So like an obedient father, I tell them the stories. I would tell them how – before the Zone changed us – we only lived for 60 to 70 years; how we had cities above ground instead of bunkers and "C-Consciousness nodes" hidden beneath the earth; of how simple and gentle life was back then; and how mutations were considered the stuff of fiction and fantasy.

They would listen to my words like children listening to a fairy tail. Once Upon A Time! There was no Zone. There was no Zone. There was no Zone. There used to be no Zone. The concept is difficult to comprehend. I was better off telling them that the Sun didn't give off light or that 2 plus 2 is 519 instead of telling them that there was once a time when there was no Zone.

And when I am finished the Stalkers would smile and shake their heads in amusement. My stories sounded silly. They couldn't believe humans could exist without a Zone. I don't blame them. The Zone changed us in its image. I of all people know this.

And when they leave an old man to his thoughts, I cry and cry and cry. I cry because I cannot say what I wished to tell, and that is before the Zone, we were still human...

\- Doctor, Journal Entry Dated 44,704 CE

* * *

After the appearance, expansion and consolidation of the Zone, the definition of what it meant to be human changed drastically.

\- Anonymous

* * *

The lonely creature walked through the dark tunnel unafraid. Though the darkness was eerie and foreboding, the old creature knew all of the secrets of these tunnels, where they led and where they turned into dead ends.

The tunnels were connected by a series of Teleportation Anomalies, accessible only to those who knew the secret codes to activate them. Those who did not know the location of these anomalies or how to activate them WERE hopelessly trapped within these tunnels, sealed away in circular paths that led nowhere, a puzzle that defied time and space. They would crawl in THE darkness until thirst, hunger or exhaustion brought death to them, and their only companions in their final hours would be the hissing voices and murmurs of the Zone, taunting them to their doom.

The tunnel was roughly 15 feet in diameter, and its surface and floors were made from a material with the texture of granite, but with the resilience of a material thousands of times stronger than steel. Though now old and covered in 20,000 of years of dust and fungi, they were still as hard as the day they were made, for they were created using the knowledge gleaned from the Zone.

If a citizen from the Citadel could see these things, he or she would most likely remark that there was something unnatural about them, that these tunnels seemed to emit a sound or a smell or some kind of _thing_ that is impossible to explain. How could such a substance exist for thousands and thousands of year unscathed and unchanged? But here it is! Just another mystery of ancient technology.

None of this bothered the old creature, though. He had passed through these tunnels hundreds and hundreds of times before, and more importantly, he was a creature of the Zone. Anomalies were as alien to him as water was to a fish.

Each step he took echoed ominously through the darkness, as though heralding the coming of a god-giant. He walked through the seemingly endless tunnel without any sign of fear or exhaustion, walking forward in a gliding-like manner, almost a wraith in the shadows.

* * *

After passing through several chains of tunnels, the lonely creature finally reached his destination: a large natural cavern, its walls untouched by human technology. This cavern was carved, not by hands or machines, but by the will of the Zone. Indeed, its floor was littered with all manner of anomalies – all of them fatally dangerous. The only clue of sapient life were the torches which decorated the walls of the cavern left there by uplifted bloodsucker who are tasked with maintaining such places for their masters and their fellow uplifted mutants.

As the ancient being drew closer, the light revealed his features. At first, he appeared like a small lonely figure, a ghost or perhaps even an apparition to one who did not understand the functions of this place, but as more of the torches' light shined upon him, his face became clearer. What had been a ghost turned out to be a simple, old man wearing a drab, but extremely well-preserved trench coat, made for him by one of his Bloodsucker students as a gift several hundreds of years ago.

He bore a creased face that could easily smile, topped by balding white hair and a well-kept beard. He looked to be 70 years old, but in truth, he was actually more than 46,000. Although humanity now had the ability to manipulate their appearance through controlled mutations, the old man still preferred to keep his original human features, believing that they were an essential component of whatever minuscule humanity he had left.

Upon his chest, concealed by his clothes, was a dark stone. It was a _Black Heart_ , a relatively common synthetic _artifact_ worn by all humans to keep the Zone's influence at bay. Though covered, the light from the stone glowed faintly, but ominously through his clothes, making the darkness darker, and making the old Stalker seem like an angel or a demon depending on the angle which an observer sees him.

The old creature's name was Doctor, and he WAS known by this name in all the histories of the galaxy, which remembers him as a creature larger than life itself, a source of fatherly love and healing; eternal and undying. But here, in this dark, lonely tunnel, he appeared as nothing more than a worn out old man, wise and fatherly perhaps, but nothing like the ancient wizard in Asari and Salarian legends.

As he walked on, several red pair of eyes, glowing like burning coals, followed his every step. They lingered in the dark places of the cavern, hissing and growling as they followed the old man like a pack of hungry predators, each one eager to spring the attack.

Doctor paused to let his pursuers come closer.

"I am not in the mood for pranks," Doctor said to his pursuers in an exasperated voice.

As if caught in an act of some devious mischief, three small creatures appeared from the dark places of the cavern. Two of these were four foot tall bloodsuckers, clad in loin cloths and adorned in various trinkets. They were also joined by a young two-headed Chimera, awkwardly but eagerly walking forward towards Doctor on all fours.

Each of them solemnly bowed to the _Elder One_ , and with their duty done, they ran to him demanding hugs and pats on the head, which Doctor willingly supplied.

"Vak'thrash and Umbratch. Yes, yes. I have _dreamed_ of both of you in my _long sleep_." Doctor greeted the young Bloodsuckers, both of whom beamed at being recognized by the old human. "And I believe you are little Kron," he said turning to one of the heads of the Chimera – the larger one – before grinning down at other, smaller head, "while you are Jarth?"

"Yessss!" The smaller head of the Chimera smiled, beaming and proud to be acknowledged.

"My how you've all grown," Doctor said smiling. They ran about him squealing and growling in glee, and the old human gave each of them a hug. A sense of irony blinked into Doctor's mind. Back in the _old days,_ these creatures preyed upon humans, who in (their) turn preyed upon them. But that was literally thousands of years ago. The Zone had changed everything, and they, human and mutant alike, WERE at its mercy.

 _Such was life in the Zone._

"You defied your parents, didn't you?" Doctor asked, laughing as they playfully scampered all over him.

"Yeessshhh," one of the Bloodsuckers said in its growling, hissing language, a strange and heavily distorted copy of several human languages, mixed together with some of their own words. "but it's not fair! It's not often that the Elder Ones awaken."

"Not fair!" The other Bloodsucker repeated the protest. It WAS a custom among uplifted Controllers, Bloodsuckers, Chimeras and Burers to celebrate the waking of the "Elder Ones," and presently – at least on Shanxi - many of them were awake, thanks to the disturbance of one Mr. Edan Had'dah of Karshan.

Doctor was going to say something, but instead, he simply patted the head of the young creature, while rubbing the ears of the Chimera with his other hand. He sat himself on a nearby rock and played with the creatures for a little while.

Doctor had seen generations of mutants born, live out their lives and die. Unlike humans (and mutated humans), mutants DIDn't seem to possess the necessary psi-abilities to influence the Zone through the C-Consciousness, and so there was no need for them to partake in the burden of the _Long Sleep_.

After a few minutes of roughhousing, Doctor stood up and forced the young creatures to stop despite their protests. Eventually, they calmed down and they bowed low before Doctor. Later, they WOULD tell their fellow children that the great Elder One, Doctor, played with them and blessed them with the powers of the Zone, and they would gain much stature in the eyes of their peers, but only after having been disciplined by their parents for their impertinence.

They were about to leave, heading for the tunnels which would bring them home, but they were interrupted when the larger head of the young Chimera asked, "Are we going to kill the interlopers, sir?"

The lilting voice combined with sniffs and snarls, masked the infant blood lust that existed in all Chimeras, regardless of whether they WERE feral or uplifted.

Doctor did not like this tone, and he was reminded of those distant days when the mutants had not yet been tamed, and their instincts were shaped exclusively by the fury Zone. Over the millennia, Humanity had learned to domesticate various types of mutants, breeding them for intelligence and self-restraint, helping them form their own civilizations. This enterprise was successful – for the most part - but despite human influence, mutants were still creatures of the Zone and always would be, and here was that old fury rearing its head once again.

"No, Kron," Doctor said sadly as he gently took the creature's hand, "at least, we will try not to."

"But..." Kron stammered in surprise, the feral, growling sound of his voice belying his innocence. Jarth, the smaller head, concurred with his twin's opinion. "But they insult you and desecrate your holy places." His bloodsucker companions nodded their heads in assent.

Doctor knelt before the three of them and looked each of them in the eye. It was strange to see brutality and innocence mixed together in those faces. He wanted to tell them that humans were not gods and that they did not like being worshiped, but he also knew that such words would only confuse them and make their lives unnecessarily difficult.

Even after everything that he HAD gone through, Doctor still found it hard to believe that these mutants – mutants, which thousands of years ago, hunted Stalkers and in turn were hunted by them – were now domesticated. His younger self would have laughed at the very idea, but here he was, talking to these creatures, like human children, and he a 46,000 year old creature. So old in many ways, even though he didn't feel like it sometimes.

Such were the miracles of the Zone.

Although humans had done all that they could do to dissuade the mutants from looking at them as gods, most efforts proved futile. Mutants worshiped the Zone as sacred, and humanity was directly connected with the Zone, which meant that humanity was semi-divine by virtue of their relationship with the Zone. Eventually, humanity gave up trying to persuade mutant cultures and simply allowed them to believe whatever they wanted to believe.

Doctor explained to the young mutants that "beyond the stars" THERE were many other worlds and many other creatures, and that these creatures did not understand the Zone, did not understand the _Elder Ones_ , and that they did not do their misdeeds out of ignorance. Doctor explained that ignorance must be corrected, and that only malice should be punished.

This was not true of course. Edan Had'dah was basically a pirate, and Doctor knew that in all likelihood he and his men were probably scum, but he didn't want the mutant clans of Shanxi to get involved in this issue, nor did he want Had'dah or his people dead. He just wanted them to put everything they had taken back where they found it, and then leave... before their presence pissed off the Zone, and bad things happened to them because of it.

"Do you understand now?" Doctor asked, after he had explained everything. The mutants nodded their heads out of politeness, even though they remained unconvinced. They still wanted to slaughter these interlopers and feast upon their innards, but the Elder Ones had spoken, and they could only obey.

The Bloodsuckers and the Chimera each gave Doctor another hug and scampered off back into the darkness of the tunnels, to go back to their underground cities and towns, to share what they had learned with their elders. Doctor knew that what he said would be interpreted in various ways, and there was the danger that mutants might take things into their own hands, to attack the interlopers for their _heresy against the Elder Ones,_ which was why he and the other Stalkers needed to move quickly.

Once the mutants children had departed, Doctor passed his hands down his face, and wiped the sweat off his brow. He navigated his way past several anomaly fields, occasionally tossing a rock or bolt to make sure that everything was as it should be. After searching through several acid-based fruit punch anomalies, Doctor finally found what he was looking for: The Teleportation Anomaly.

He reached his hand out to its energies, activating it with his psi-signature, and without a moment's hesitation, jumped into it. The old creature disappeared in a flash of light and boom of thunder, leaving behind the silent darkness of the cavern and the terrible silence that is the Zone.

* * *

Doctor reappeared in a flash of light inside a carefully walled off 15 feet tall, spartan-looking vestibule. The vestibule – one of about a dozen in this place – was designed for one thing only, to house a Teleportation Anomaly, which meant that this area and others like it were essentially teleportation rooms.

Like localized wormholes, these Teleportation Anomalies functioned as the primary mode of transportation in human worlds, thus eliminating not only the need for conventional vehicles, but also doorways or entrances. This meant that all human underground settlements were completely impervious to conventional attacks and infiltration. For unless attackers COULD manipulate the Teleportation Anomalies to their will, none could assail these underground _Bunker Nodes,_ which for all intents and purposes now functioned as (the) humanity's towns and cities.

Doctor took a few seconds to clear his head. Despite having used Teleportation Anomalies more than several million times, they still made his head spin. To give himself time to recover, Doctor leaned against a wall and read some of the graffiti written there. Hundreds of them were scribbled on the walls of the vestibule by bored Stalkers who had nothing better to do with their time in eons past. Doctor noticed that there were even new ones, and a few of them were even funny. Were it not for the fact that the Stalkers used these vestibules to store away their trash and empty vodka bottles, Doctor would spend more time reading the amusing anecdotes written here.

He scanned most of the new ones, including obscene drawings of what appeared to be half-naked women and parodies of old rivals in grotesque sexual positions.

Some of the Graffiti read:

"Yar has a small penis. A teeny weenie little penis."

"Ashot, just so you know. I had sex with your mother. She loved it so much that I do it everyday. Signed Y."

"Porn for sale."

"Duty sucks big balls. Freedom 4-evar."

"Freedom..." and it was followed by a badly drawn phallic shaped image.

"Do not masturbate here. You know who you R"

" _Herbs_ for sale. Will barter. Will accept anything. Ask for Ganja"

"I would like to apologize for what I did to the toilet. I was very drunk, and horny."

"Do not stick your penis where it doesn't belong. You know what I mean."

"Get out of here, Stalker."

"Porn for Sale. Cheap."

 _"Your mom._ Signed the man who banged her."

"Only the Cheeki can know peace from the Breeki."

"Рейнбоу Деш найкраща Поні."

"CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA CYKA"

"I need sex I need sex I need sex I need sex I need sex I need sex"

"Then go masturbate Suka."

"To the bastard who stole my cigs while I was in my Sarcophagi, I'll find out who you are eventually, and then I'll fuck you up."

"Cigs for sale. Cheap Cigs."

"Will draw porn for supplies. Dickgirls cost extra."

All of the graffitti were a mishmash of various scripts and alphabets, which was not surprising, since most Stalkers spoke a pidgin language originally derived from a hodgepodge of Spanish, Ukrainian, English, Russian, Arabic and Mandarin, the result of over 46,000 years of cultural evolution, and yelling curses at each other while piss drunk.

Doctor shook his head with sad amusement. Most humans were now at least 10,000 years old, and despite all that age, many of THE Stalkers still behaved like 10 year olds.

 _I suppose there are things that even the Zone cannot change,_ he thought.

After recovering from his slight nausea, Doctor passed out of the vestibule and into the main area _._ He was greeted by large and spacious underground facility, as ancient as the tunnels but even more resilient.

This place was called a _Bunker Node_ , one of many which lay hidden underneath Shanxi's surface. Its walls and ceiling were lined with the same substance that were used to construct the tunnels, but thicker. Were it not for the strange, ominous nature of the place, the entire bunker would have looked almost like an ancient domed temple, and to the mutants, it certainly was, as they called this particular Node, _The_ _Most Sacred Temple_ _Tu-Wa-See_ , _one of the dwelling places of the Elder Ones_.

For the Stalkers who dwelt here, however, it was simply known as Bunker 2-1C, just another piece of civilization in the never-ending hell that was the interstellar Zone.

This structure was constructed many thousands of years ago, based on the design of the first C-Consciousness constructed in long lost Pripyat, on Anomaly-Ravaged Terra. The facility was connected to other Bunker Nodes in human space by the Zone's Quantum Entanglement Psi-based properties. However, these nodes had one purpose and one purpose only, to control the Zone and thus prevent it from spreading to the rest of the galaxy.

Compared to other nodes on other planetS, Bunker 2-1C was quite small; only about the size of a large park or stadium. It could only accommodate a few hundred inhabitants and nothing more. Also, the place contained no machinery or gadgets. Instead, it was filled with artifacts, synthetic anomalies and all manner of devices partially constructed from them. There were, for example, anomalies for creating light, anomalies for synthesizing oxygen, artifacts for healing, artifacts for manipulating temperature, anomalies for creating water and hundreds of other wonders that would stagger the mind of a creature unused to human Noospheric "technology." All other supplies, such as food, alcohol, meats and clothes WERE supplied by Bloodsucker and Burer settlements, who eagerly competeD with each other over the honor of providing the _Elder Ones_ with tribute.

At the center of each node was a C-Consciousness Transceiver of immense complexity, installed in this very area thousands of years ago to allow humanity to control or at least stabilize Shanxi's Zone. This device was a huge 40 feet stone-like obelisk constructed from hundreds of psi-based artifacts, its components assembled at a sub-molecular level by complex poltergeist-nanite hybrids.

This Transciever hummed with ominous power. Green energy emanated from its surface, while strange slabs of stone-like anomalies orbited it, like so many moons. Surrounding this structure were all of the Sarcophagi in 2-1C, each one inhabited by a human or semi-human occupant.

Doctor casually left the Vestibule, and as he emerged to the main area, the power of the Bunker Node immediately made itself manifest to him. Here, the reality distorting powers of the Zone were stronger than in any other place, but also more controlled, for it was in the nodes that human will clashed with the fury of the Zone.

The first of the Node's _strangeness_ manifested itself as Doctor walked out of the Vestibule. His shadow stretched towards the sources of light ahead of him, instead of behind him. There were also the small rainbows which kept appearing randomly all over the node. There were the strange sounds that some could hear and others couldn't; the strange weeds which moved about the ground like worms and centipedes; the persistent feeling that the node was somehow moving around and around and around – a sense of unstable vertigo - even though it was perfectly still; the imaginary smells of oceans, flames and mountains, and most importantly, there was the ever-present impression of the Zone itself, jealous and possessive – a living creature which dwelt here among the Stalkers.

These and other strange phenomena filled the halls of the _node_ , making the whole place look like something out of a horror story or a madman's dreams, but as terrifying as these otherworldly phenomenon may be, they were nothing compared to the Stalker's treasures: The Artifacts, for they gave life and power, as well as took them away. They were the gifts of the Zone, and the foundation of Human Noospheric technology. To properly contain and stabilize their properties, these artifacts were placed on special liquid-like containers, scattered around the Bunker making the entire place appear like some religious reliquary of unspeakable alien races.

Among these artifacts, were the _Death Lamps_ which unleashed instant death when disturbed; _Shriekers_ which unleashed strange, piercing sounds that could drive a mind instantly insane; and _Hell Slimes_ that could turn the toughest human flesh into mush.

There were also the blood-draining Sponges and the toxic Porcelains. In addition to these, there were also the reality-defying _Empties_ as well as deceptively beautiful but dangerous _Bracelets_ and _Pins_. There were gravity-defying _Gravis and Goldfishes_ , reality bending _Compasses_ and energy generating _Snowflakes_. There were also radiation absorbing _Bubbles and Wrenches_. There were rare muscle-enhancing _Souls_ and of course, the life-giving _Fireflies_.

A naive observer, unfamiliar with the zone might say that all of this – both the strangeness of the Bunker and the captivating beauty of the Artifacts - were the result of some arcane technology, and to a certain extent, this was true. The Zone was created by a failed experiment, but the Zone was also more than that. It is a mystery beyond understanding, a glimpse into a universe that was always one step ahead of sapient intelligence.

Doctor tried to relax as he walked among the other Stalkers. He saw that at least half of them had awakened from their Sacrophagi, and most were currently busy talking or joking among themselves, while the rest remained in their _sleep_. Normally, only about a dozen or two dozen humans were allowed to leave the Node at any given time. This was a necessity, for without sufficient numbers to man the C-Consciousness, the Zone became unstable, and mutations among humans increased exponentially. Had'dah's expedition onto Shanxi had interrupted this routine, and had brought about the need for a sizable portion of 21-C's population to awaken from their _Long Sleep_ on a temporary basis.

Upon seeing Doctor, the awakened humans immediately bombarded him with hundreds of telepathic questions. They stopped speaking with each other and turned their eyes and faces to him, demanding answers. Most of the questions were something to the effect:

 _Well, how did your meeting with Had'dah go?_

 _Will that Batarian and his people leave?_

 _Doc, I don't mean to pressure you or nuthin, but the Zone is getting angry._

 _Will they leave, or do we have to make them leave?_

 _Doc, they got two Asaris with them. Can we let them stay?_

Doctor raised his hands to appease his fellow Stalkers, and snickered at the questions regarding the two Asaris in Had'dah's expedition.

 _Later brothers. I will explain to you everything that has occured with me and Had'dah,_ Doctor responded with the same telephatic ability. _But first, let me rest a little, eh?_

The rest of the Stalkers wanted to ask more, but they did not push the issue. They saw that Doctor was tired from his work. For the past four days or so, Doctor had teleported to Shanxi's other Bunker Nodes, speaking with their representatives on the matter of Had'dah and his men.

Doctor could have communicated with them through remote telepathy from the relative comfort of 2-1C, but the old man insisted on speaking with their representatives personally, judging that his personal presence was necessary to persuade the other Stalker communities not to mount an all out expedition to exterminate Had'dah and his men, and thus prevent them from destabilizing the Zone with their presence.

Doctor's travels ended only yesterday when he projected his presence onto a Poltergeist, to speak directly with Had'dah and to persuade him to leave with all of his men and never return. Now that their existence was revealed, the Stalkers were now eager to move on to the next phase of their work: Deciding on how to best remove the aliens before they angered the Zone into killing them all.

Leaving the matter for later, the Stalkers returned to what they were doing. For himself, Doctor rubbed his neck to get rid of the stress, and then began looking for a particular Stalker. It wasn't easy. With so many Stalkers awake, it was hard getting used to the relative chaos of the place.

Of the total number of Stalkers present here, only a few could be described as undoubtedly human, at least externally. Many of the Stalkers – at least one in four – were mutated in some subtle way. A slightly larger than normal muscle mass, slightly glowing eyes, slightly fanged teeth, an extra finger, a face that seemed a little too inhuman from a certain angle, an unusual quickness of movement, very broad shoulders, very long arms, an odd smell, an odd voice and a hundred other strange clues that could easily be noticed or ignored depending on the observer.

Another quarter were undoubtedly mutated. These Stalkers had fangs, claws, snouts, scales, feathers, tails, glowing skin, cloven feet and a dozen other characteristics from children's fairy tales. Half a dozen even possessed an extra pair of limbs, while a dozen or so were over 10 feet tall. There were mutated Stalkers who could stick to the surface of a wall; walk through fire unscathed; survive for several weeks without food, sleep or water; possessed flesh and bones that could withstand the fury of a thresher maw; and even the power to resurrect themselves after death.

 _Such were the curses of the Zone. Such were its gifts._ Doctor thought dispassionately.

He himself had developed certain abnormal greenish veins throughout his body which gave him incredible strength, though not a lot people knew that.

These thoughts reminded Doctor of a lot of things that he preferred to forget, and he tightened his old coat around him, trying to drive away the imaginary cold that he suddenly felt. He desperately avoided thinking about such things, but they always came to him whenever he LEFT his Sarcophagus. It was a habit of the mind, or perhaps, it was just the Zone taunting him.

He was, however, pleased to see that a few familiar faces had recently awoken from their Sarcophagi. Of the few hundred or so Stalkers who dwelt in 21-C, about two dozen or so were Old Timers like him. These were humans who could trace their life back to the 21st century, 46,000 years ago.

There was the Stalker _Red_ and his daughter Maria (1), and both of them waved to him amiably. Red was a hard faced, red haired, freckled Stalker. He had no mutations, but most people said that his mutation is that he was one of the biggest assholes in the galaxy.

On the other hand, Maria was the exact opposite of her father. Warm and cheerful, she smiled at Doctor with the gentleness of a young daughter. She was also heavily mutated, more simian than human really, her body covered by dark, yellow fur. Her nickname/call sign was Monkey, and she also happened to be the only female in 21-C, and most certainly off-limits by decree of her father.

Like many Stalkers, Red and Monkey's pasts were mysteries, and they were the types who liked to keep it that way. The only thing anyone knew was that Red's wife's name had been Guta, and that he was one of the _old timers_ , just like Doctor, Yar, Ashot, Ganja and the other First Stalkers.

Doctor made a mental note to consult Red later, and discuss what he thought about their latest _situation_. The old bastard usually had good instincts about such things, an important characteristic in a Stalker.

At another part of the Bunker Node, were Yar and Ashot, both talking shit to each other as usual. Both were drunk and on the verge of another one of their usual fist fights over who had the smaller _gun_. Ganja – the resident Marijuana dealer/Stoner – was busy smoking a blunt, and peddling his _goods_ to the Stalkers. There was also Nitro, busy tinkering with equipment as always. He waved to Doctor when he saw him and went back to his tasks without missing a beat. And then there was Zulu, who – as usual - was chugging on a Vodka bottle, his dark hair in disarray and his pot belly exposed.

They had only been awake from their Sarcophagi for a few days, and their bodies were still getting used to the sudden change. Stalkers usually dealt with such discomforts with fights, drink or drugs whichever was most available. Doctor knew this feeling all too well. Had'dah's clandestine visit to _their_ planet had pissed a lot of people off, and not just the Zone.

 _Nodes weren't usually this noisY_ , he thought.

Despite their Zone-granted immortality, humans spenT about 90% of their lives in the _Long Sleep_ , which WAS a necessary process for controlling human mutations. A human who refused to enter into a Sarcophagus would eventually lose his or her mind, turn into a Snork and then into some terrible monstrosity of the Zone, who would kill and ravage according to the Zone's whim.

Thus, it was necessary for humans in every colony to take turns leaving their Sarcophagi, a situation which altered what many called the _human experience_. It was a bad deal, most humans would say, but such was life in the Zone.

Amidst the noise and relative chaos of the place, he was surprised to hear a melancholic song, played on a poorly constructed home-made guitar. To his bigger surprise, he soon found out that the song was familiar to him, though with slightly altered lyrics.

Digging through the moments,  
of thousands of years  
We melt down to the ashes of our hopes and dreams,  
leaving bitter footprints  
to the generations.  
In our memory, there are faces  
of lost loved ones.  
The melodic laughter of children  
spread under noble flags.  
All of that is gone,  
only the tears remain  
among the stones.

The old Stalker found that the source of the music was a recently awoken Stalker, his head covered by the hood of his coat. Around him gathered other hooded Stalkers, all drawn to the sadness of the song.

He continued to sing in the same melancholic voice:

Opening the fragments of our dreams  
We suddenly recalled what once used to be.  
A shadow of mistake comes from children´s tears.  
We live with it!  
There's a time to live!  
There's a time to die!  
We don´t have the time to dream of fates long gone.  
What once was won´t come back  
Forgive me my fallen home!

Despite himself, the old Stalker suddenly felt weary, as if the song had reminded him that he was over 46,000 years old. He tried to forget it all, but the memories imposed themselves too strongly.

He remembered that a long time ago, he had been human. Most _humans_ today would contest such a notion, of course. Yes, the Zone changed humanity, but they were still human weren't they? Somehow, such arguments failed to move him, and he brooded over memories long forgotten.

And the life on the screen repeats itself.  
But reality hurts the most of all horrors.  
We have forgotten who we were.  
The Whole Earth has covered itself with ashes.  
Ancient homes are hidden behind the fallen towers.  
Our people will never return here again... 2

The melancholic spell was broken by an altercation between two Stalkers about cigarettes. Apparently, one of the Stalkers had managed to smuggle several packs with him the last time he entered into his Sarcophagus, and now that he was awake, he was the only source of tobacco within the entire area.

"Hey Beans has cigs!"

"Shuddup you bastard!"

"Holy Sheeeit! I want one. Gimme!"

"Those are my cigs. Those are mah fucking cigs. Beans, you _Suka_ sonovabitch. Give em back."

"Cigs? Where? Where?"

As several drunk Stalkers fought among themselves, the melancholic music turned into a raunchy tune about bar fights and lost virtues. Where the Stalkers had once chatted among themselves, they were now uproariously laughing and betting various items on who among the drunk combatants could get the cigarettes.

Doctor laughed at this, but did not stop to enjoy the spectacle. None of the profanity and stupidity bothered him. A drunk, high, noisy Stalker WAS a happy Stalker. It's when they WERE quiet, that you should be very afraid.

As most of the Stalkers congregated around the combatants, their new source amusement, they freed up space to allow Doctor to find who he was looking for: Shepard.

The man sat on the slab stone of his Sarcophagus, its Green energies swirling about him. Behind him was a pile of salvaged equipment, mostly from Nex's lost patrol. He was fiddling with one of the devices, an Omni-tool if Doctor recalled the device's name correctly,.

Vladimir Shepard was a well-built, pale skinned man with strong features and thick bronze hair. His broad shoulders and large limbs made him bigger than most other Stalkers, and at nearly seven feet, he was a hulking monstrosity of muscle, bone and raw energy. He looked at Doctor like a feral bird of prey, ignoring the noise and antics of his Stalker brothers nearby.

Despite his physical attributes, however, Shepard looked like a mess. His bronze hair was in disarray, and as Doctor came closer, he could detect the smell of Vodka and _weed_ from the younger man. Like many Stalkers, Shepard had experienced many pains in life, pains which usually required the numbing effects of alcohol, drugs and poorly contrived sex jokes.

"Hey Reaper!" Doctor greeted as he came up to him. This elicited a scowl from Shepard, for he did not like his _call sign._

The nickname "Reaper" was jokingly given to Shepard by other Stalkers as a joke for the number of Reapers he had killed. _Vladimir Shepard, the Reaper of Reapers_ , they would speak in amusement.

Shepard, however, did not like the name. It reminded him too much of the past, and he didn't like it. Back then, he was still a member of _The Tribe,_ one of the four Great Factions which ruled the human race, and also a direct vassal of the Tribe's Khan-Emperor, Steven Hackett himself. At the height of the war, Shepard was instrumental in taking down several Reaper vessels. Without him, there was no telling how the Reaper incursion would have ended.

"Did you learn anything new from those devices?" Doctor asked, pointing at the Omni-Tool Shepard was fiddling with. This had been Hailut Nex's property prior to his unfortunate end, and contained substantial information about Had'dah's operations both in and beyond Shanxi.

"Only one interesting tidbit," Shepard replied. "It seems that hoarding precursor technology is illegal in _Citadel_ space."

"So?"

"So, that explains why Had'dah and his men are acting like a bunch of pirates. It's because they are. They're trying to loot _our_ _precursor technology_."

Doctor nodded his head, smiling in amusement at the notion that humanity was now considered a "precursor race." But he was also disappointed because what Shepard said revealed nothing new.

"Anything else?" he asked.

Shepard shook his head "Aside from what I just told you, nothing. We already got most of the important stuff. If there's any more intel to extract then our tech guys can't get to it. This hardware," he lifted the Omni-Tool, "is just too incompatible with our own."

"A pity," Doctor replied, and he quickly retreated into his thoughts, pondering his suspicions about the sudden appearance of the Batarians on Shanxi. He soon noticed that Shepard wanted to say something, but he waited for him to speak his mind, knowing the younger man well enough to know that something was bothering him.

"Did you know that they have legends about us?" Shepard finally asked.

"Oh?" Doctor asked in mock surprise.

"Yes, it seems that the Asari remember you as a _being of light_ ," Shepard enunciated the words with a little dramatic flair and an amused voice, "that descends from the heavens to heal and hug little Asari maidens, and tickle their tummies, and squeeze their cheeks." He then showed him the files that he was reading on the Omni-Tool, but the old man didn't look. He already knew about those.

Doctor snorted, turning away, embarrassed by the legends about him. "They made legends about all of us," the old man answered.

"It seems so. Did you know that they remember Degtyayev as some kind of handsome prince?"

"Yes, I know. I also know that they seem to think that Strider was a god of healing or that Zulu was some kind of magical maker of wine."

Doctor shook his head in amused embarrassment.

"It's your fault you know," Shepard said with a snide smile on his face, "Sol told us not to interfere in their cultures, but you guys did it anyway."

"You weren't there, Shepard," Doctor explained, suddenly serious. "We had to make a lot of tough decisions. We had to interfere."

Shepard shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I know something about that," the younger man answered.

"Interfering with primitive cultures?"

"Tough decisions."

"Ah. Indeed, but the Reaper war was your war, Synok, and it is not relevant to the issue at hand."

Shepard's countenance suddenly became grim, and he said, "The Reapers are still out there."

"The survivors, Shepard." Doctor corrected. "The surviving Reapers are still out there, along with the Monolith – curse them, but we bloodied them, remember?"

Shepard was quiet. At length, he said, "We bloodied them, yes, but that was 10,000 years ago." He then looked at Doctor intently and the old man looked away. Both knew that the Reapers and the Monolith would return one day. There was no question of about it. 10,000 years were enough time for them to rearm and replenish their numbers.

Doctor knew Shepard. He knew his past and the things he had done. That was one of the advantages of being a father figure, he thought, everyone likeD to tell you their secrets.

Shepard was born a _spacer,_ in one of the _Tribe's_ largest space stations around 10,000 years ago. There, he was raised to become one of that faction's super soldiers, bred for war and imbued with the toughest powers and weapons Noospheric technology had to offer.

Shepard's greatest moments, however, came about during the Reaper Incursion, where he played an instrumental role in numerous critical battles that helped shape the vicious, but relatively short-lived conflict. For his efforts, he became one of humanity's greatest heroes.

After the war, however, for whatever reason known only to himself, Shepard left the Tribe and went renegade. He disappeared for centuries, but he later turned up on a Stalker world (worlds and colonies not aligned with any particular faction). After centuries of further wandering, he eventually ended up on Shanxi, another Stalker planet, and decided to stay here ever since.

"Do you think they'll leave?" Shepard asked, following the old man as he walked towards his sarcophagus, several paces from his own.

"No, of course not. That fool of a Batarian believes that the powers of the Zone are the result of some arcane technology," Doctor replied, as he sat down on his Sarcophagus, a small stone slab covered by swirling green energies of the Stasis Anomaly, curling around him like vines, beckoning him to return to sleep. "And he will do everything he can to get it. The fool!"

Shepard decided to shift gears, "They've collected a lot of junk from the last two wars. Sol won't like that."

"Let Sol deal with Sol. We will recover everything the Batarians have taken and then force them back to Citadel space."

"And after that?" Shepard asked, "You and I both know that they will send another expedition."

"Then we will give them the same reception... unless you have a better idea."

Shepard shook his head. "You do know that Sol will hear of this sooner or later, right?"

"Of course, and the factions will send their fleets to _our_ humble Shanxi to make sure that no further ships emerge from 314 to _visit us..._ and there's nothing we can really do anything about that. But Shanxi is out home, our responsibility. Let the Factions send their fleets and armies to keep the aliens out. Stalkers answer to no one."

Shepard wanted to say something, but he quickly changed his mind. Instead, he simply said, "I'm too old for this _shit_."

"True, but you are not as old as I am," Doctor smiled at him.

" _Everything is only for a day, both that which remembers and that which is remembered,"_ Shepard said, reminding him that living 50 years is no different from living 50000 years,

"Don't quote Marcus Aurelius to me, Synok."

"You're the one who likes to quote the guy, Doc. Not me."

"Marcus Aurelius is a philosopher for old men,"

"And we are all old men, aren't we?" Shepard asked teasingly. He didn't really feel old, but he knew that the Old Timers, the ones who remembered _human_ life before the appearance Zone, always felt bothered that the definition of what it meant to be human was no longer what it once was.

Doctor closed his eyes, suddenly tired and weary of banter. "Call Yar and Ashot, Shepard. We need to get started."

Shepard nodded his head and quickly left. Though he showed no sign of it, he deeply regretted his comment. He had meant it as a jest, but it ended up hurting the ancient creature more than he intended to.

After Shepard had left, Doctor lied down on his Sarcophagus and sighed to himself. "And I was beginning to enjoy the peace too," Doctor said absently to the darkness.

* * *

Despite the relative chaos in their Bunker Node, the Stalkers were quickly able to assemble themselves into a coherent and well-ordered assembly. All knew the pressing issue at hand, and all were eager to give their thoughts on the matter.

Doctor seated himself on a stone slab, a half-finished Sarcophagus that had been cancelled in the course of its construction. Close to him, in relative positions of authority, were the Old Timers, while the younger ones sat a little farther apart. All were either sitting on slabs of rock, leaning on walls and columns or sitting cross-legged on the floor. All watched and listened attentively to Doctor.

Doctor – who was the unofficial leader of 2-1C – carefully went through the news like a good chairman, bringing up to speed those who lacked the basic information, while bringing up the latest developments for those who already knew the basics. He spoke to them in a combination psi-telepathy and vocal speech, this being the most comfortable and most convenient form of communication among humans.

Doctor also explained to the gathered Stalkers the general opinion among other the Stalker communities in Shanxi. He explained that, as the Bunker Node closest to Had'dah's main camp, they were tasked with making sure that the _interlopers were_ forced to leave the planet by any means necessary before they pissED off the Zone; and that they had about a week to do it. Otherwise, the other Stalkers in the other Nodes would take matters into their own hands and forcibly remove Had'dah and his men.

This, however, was not news. Most Stalkers already knew this via the C-Consciousness Network. What they wanted to know was about Had'dah himself, his agenda and if there were more like him on the way.

However, Doctor did not give them the information they desired. Instead, he told them something even more alarming.

"According to the Poltergeists we've sent to spy on them," Doctor explained, "this Batarian – this Edan Had'dah - is digging his way into one of the Reaper tombs," Doctor said soberly, and the entire assembly became quiet. It was like they wanted to say, _Oh shit!_

Everyone was momentarily speechless.

"Now, this could all be a coincidence..." Doctor continued, but he was cut off.

" _Flesh_ Shit! You think that they digging into the _tomb_ is just a coincidence."

"I said _it could all be a coincidence._ Had'dah is camped in one of the biggest ruins on this planet, and he could just be looking for the biggest treasure trove he could sniff out. We aren't really sure at this point."

"Wa-wait. Wait a minute." Another Stalker demanded. "Why weren't we told of this earlier?

"Because, we just learned of it yesterday," Doctor answered with some frustration. "And we just confirmed it today. This is also the main reason why I decided to speak with Edan Had'dah yesterday. Taking a few broken pieces ofjunk is one thing. Opening one of the Reaper tombs..." The old man shook his head.

"How'd they even know about that place?" Someone demanded after a brief pause.

"I don't know," Doctor replied. "Perhaps, they detected the Reapers' Eezo core, or maybe it was because of chance. I don't know. Either way, they're making a mess of things"

"So what do we do about them then?"

"We should tell Sol," someone suggested.

"Fuck Sol!" Another retorted.

"At the very least, we should contact Duty. I can contact Voronin and..." Zulu suggested, but he was cut off.

"Why Duty? Those basta- They will probably just drop bombs on o _ur_ planet until all the aliens are dead," Ashot retorted. "I will contact Lukash. He'll know what to do."

"With all due respect, Ashot, but Lukash will probably be too high or too drunk or both to care," Zulu retorted.

"I suppose you'd know fatass. Considering how you drink all the time" Yar snapped at the ex-Dutyer.

"Why you little _Zasranec._ I oughta... _"_

"Brothers! Enough! Ashot. Yar. Zulu. I know you still have your attachments to your old factions, but _now is not the time to indulge old grudges_." Doctor snarled at the three of them, and the three _old timers_ quieted down after a few grumbles.

"Who among us here really wants to involve Sol?" He looked at each of them, searching for a show of hands, but none appeared. Despite the difficulty of the situation, no self-respecting Stalker would ask the Factions for help unless they couldn't help it.

"So what are we going to do about them then?" A mutated Stalker asked from the back, forcing everyone back to the topic at hand.

"We could speak with them," another one of the Stalkers said.

"Doc already did that yesterday, and they're still up there doing their digging."

"We could make a show of force," another suggested. "We could send in some of the mutants, maybe activate the Brain Scorcher."

"That could work," Yar replied to the comment, "but I think most of us agree that we'd rather not use the Brain Scorcher unless we have no option left."

"Or we could just annihilate every last one of them and get this over with," a low, throaty voice proposed. It came from Red, and the hard faced Stalker held Doctor's gaze.

"It is tempting, Red," Doctor said, "but there is no need for violence... at least not yet."

" _Not yet_ ," Red repeated the words skeptically, and voicing the opinions of a significant portion of the Bunker Node. "You said it yourself, these looters are pissing off the Zone. I don't see why we shouldn't just go up there and kill them all."

Doctor rubbed his temples briefly before speaking. "Red, try to look at the situation from their perspective. These aliens consider us a precursor race." The Stalkers frowned at the use of those words. They did not like to think of themselves as some kind of precursor race. It made them feel old. They also felt a bit uneasy at the thought that the alien races which had once been young and primitive were now traveling around in starships.

Doctor then continued. "Even if we kill Had'dah and his band of glorified grave robbers, _this Citadel and all of the other states like them,_ they will send another expedition and then another and then another until they discover the mysteries of this place. And I would rather not have to kill them too unless I have to"

Red remained as nonchalant as before, though there was now a tense feeling among the Stalkers. They were now getting to the heart of the matter.

"If we don't kill them," Red began, "then wouldn't that just inspire more of them to come here? I say, we make an emphatic message. It's for their own good too. These fools tread mindlessly upon the Zone."

"I am sorry Red, but I still disagree with you. The correct solution should be to convince Had'dah and his men to fear the Zone to such an extent that they will convince their governments – this Citadel – not mount any more expeditions into our territory."

Red looked around and he sensed that Doctor's argument convinced many of his fellow Stalkers, including Ashot and Zulu.

"Very well, Doctor. What do you propose we do?" Red asked, and then added brusquely in his direct and sarcastic manner, "Talk to them?"

Doctor looked at Shepard and then at some of the other Old Timers. He had spoken with them about his plans prior to this gathering. The old man never liked taking leadership roles, but here he was, being forced by circumstances into this very position.

"I have already spoken with Edan Had'dah. He knows that we want him gone. The only thing missing is the right incentive to force him to do so."

Doctor passed his hand over his face and looked at the gathering of Stalkers. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I propose that we use the C-Consciousness to increase the number of Anomalies and Emissions in Had'dah's camp. Thus far, that area is relatively calm, and this is the result of our influence.. We withdraw control from that particular place, and let Had'dah and his men get a first hand experience of what the Zone is really like.

The entire assembly seemed to like this suggestion, for none objected to it, or made any effort to add to it. Indeed, it seemed that many Stalkers already had this idea in mind, and were simply waiting for one of their leaders to make the suggestion. But there was still one flaw to this...

"And what if your plan still doesn't work? Or what if they piss off the Zone so much that it turns this entire continent into a emission-infested gigantic hellhole?" Red asked, being the skeptic as always. "What then?" Red was going to say more, but he was chided by his daughter to _please stop being his usual dickish self._

"What then?" Another Stalker from the back shouted, repeating Red's skepticism.

Doctor's face was calm, but also a little sad. He shrugged his shoulders and said. "Then we kill them all," he said with a little regret.

For a brief moment, they all remained quiet. Stalkers were excellent killers, but even so, they didn't do it if it could be avoided. At length, Ashot decided to break the awkward silence with a simple comment.

"If it comes to that," Ashot said, taking up slack from Doctor who seemed to have become suddenly morose. "then we must do what we need to do to preserve the stability of the Zone."

And besides, how hard could they be?" Ashot asked rhetorically. "We defeated the Reapers, and these _grave robbers_ are nothing compared to them."

"We didn't defeat the Reapers," Shepard interjected suddenly. "The Zone did. The Reapers attacked us and we fought back, but it was the Zone that crushed the Reapers. Not us. The Reapers thought they could defeat the Zone, and the Zone made them pay for their insolence. We simply cleaned up after it." He then lapsed back to his brooding silence.

The Stalkers responded with silence. Shepard had been and still was the greatest hero of the Third Long Dark War, the Reaper Incursion that brought the golden age of humanity (if one chose to call it that) to an end.

"Reaper's right. Yes," Doctor agreed, breaking his awkward silence. "Yes, that is all true, but none of that is related to our present problems. We have yet to decide on our present problem."

"Let us have a vote then," someone said from the back suddenly. To their surprise, they found out that it was Red.

"I second the motion," Zulu said with a burp, while holding a Vodka bottle, and the rest of the Stalkers gave their assent. Doctor was surprised to find everyone so cooperative. Getting Stalkers to agree on anything was usually akin to herding cats, but in this case, they proved quite efficient.

The vote was between immediate _violent_ action and the implementation of Doctor's plan. All the 2-1C Stalkers voted, including those who still remained in their Sarcophagi, who voted via telepathic signals, and in the end, the latter won by 36 votes.

There were a few grumbles over the results, but everyone graciously accepted the plan. Thus, it was decided that Had'dah and his men were to get a taste of what the Zone was really like.

"Let's hope this works," Shepard told Doctor after the assembly was finished. "I'd hate to kill the same aliens that we uplifted many millennia ago."

"Me too, Reaper. Me too."

* * *

Codex: Sarcophagi Anomaly

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Sarcophagi Anomalies are synthesized anomaly fields derived from Space Anomalies. Like the latter, Sarcophagi Anomalies can alter the very fabric of reality, thanks to their temporal manipulation properties

These anomalies were specifically created and developed by Ecologist scientists to create a resilient and practical alternative to Noospheric suspension pods, which had been used in the earlier prototypes of the C-Consciousness Network.

Unlike the mechanical suspension pods, Sarcophagi Anomalies are composed entirely of temporal stasis fields. These fields allow occupants of the Sarcophagi to enter into a state of indefinite _suspended temporal existence_ , allowing them to become part of the C-Consciousness Network even while their bodies are _frozen out of time_...

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* * *

1 - Red and Maria are characters from Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, the novel which inspired Stalker. I wanted them to make an appearance on this fic as a tribute. I also want use many elements of the novel, such as genetic mutations among the Stalker's children and the more dangerous nature of the artifacts.

2\. The song is an English Translation (and a few tweaks) of "Live to Forget" by Firelake.


	9. Chapter 9

Special thanks to Dromeosaur for the Cyrillic translations. Spasiba brah

BTW, made changes in chapter 5. Instead of discovering the Prothean remnants on 25000, humans discovered them around 36,300

Also, for the purposes of this fic, I estimate the number of Reapers to be around 200,000. The Reapers are supposedly a billion years old. Based on what we've seen on Mass Effect, the harvest takes place once every 50,000 years. So 1 billion/50,000 = 20,000 cycles. Now, assuming that there are around 10 harvestable species per cycle (an estimate also based on the current cycle in the game), it follows that there are 200,000 Reapers in existence.

Yes, I know that some cycles are shorter and others longer, and that some cycles have more species and others fewer, but for the purposes of this fic let's just 'pretend' that this is the case.

The Monolith and its followers managed to subvert about 50,000 (mostly smaller destroyers) when they were still in stasis in Dark Space using their own (more powerful) version of "indoctrination," which leaves about 3/4 of the Reapers still regular Reapers when they attacked human space.

* * *

Blessed are the Elder Ones, First-Born of the Zone...

\- Excerpt from a Bloodsucker Fertility Prayer

* * *

Разум порождает энергию...

From the mind comes energy...

Энергия создает материю...

From energy comes matter...

Материя рождает жизнь...

From matter comes life...

Из жизни происходит страсть...

From life comes desire...

Страсть влечет самореализацию

From desire comes the fulfillment of the mind...

Из самореализации приходит осознание истинной силы разума...

From this fulfillment comes the realization of the mind of its true power...

Да Здравствует Монолит! Славься, Зона! Пусть Небеса Горят!

All Hail The Monolith! All Praise The Zone! Let The Heavens Burn...

\- Excerpt from "The Coda of the Wish Granter," A Monolith Prayer

* * *

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25,100 CE

All of human space is now called the Zone. The various Zones on every human-colonized planet, moon, asteroid and star system have merged into a single "Super-Zone" or simply, the Zone.

But despite such hardships, humanity's golden age continues. Human territory during this time period comprises approximately more than a hundred worlds, habitable asteroids and starbases, and all of them were located in a small, isolated section of the galaxy, inaccessible to most Mass Relays

This self-imposed isolation has existed for thousands of years driven by the need to contain the spreading and expansion of the Zone. Thus, Humanity could not expand or colonize new planets, and the delicate nature of C-Consciousness technology required humanity to maintain a stagnant demographic profile and territorial limits in order to keep the Zone from spreading.

Humanity's unique relationship with Zone set their civilization apart from all other the sapient species that had ever inhabited the galaxy. Not only is their technology and society based around Noospheric technology (and not Mass Effect Technology), the Zone has also altered their biology. The human race at this time possessed virtual immortality as well as powerful mutations. Humans no longer became sick, nor did they die. They could communicate through telepathy, move objects remotely using psy-fields, withstand fatal wounds, manipulate their environment through sheer force of will and control the anomalies themselves.

Moreover, the changes in biology and technology also influenced humans at a psychological level. Humans now measured time in terms of centuries instead of weeks or months. Death was redefined as being "claimed" by the Zone, whereas life became synonymous with the C-Consciousness Network, and its influence over the Zone.

The Zone, which now covered all human occupied space, became both a prison as well as a source of power, and though humanity had surpassed many other alien civilizations in knowledge and technology, they were still trapped within its confines, unable to spread outward. So even during this period of greatness, only small expeditions of humans were ever allowed to leave the Zone at any point in time, for the threat of spreading the Zone's influence to the rest of the galaxy is a problem that humanity has never managed to solve.

Furthermore, despite their immortality, humans now spend approximately 90% of their lives in the "Long Sleep" inside their Sarcophagi. So despite their immortality, humans could only enjoy a small portion of it. Despite their power and technology, humanity was confined to a very small part of the galaxy. Despite their knowledge, they still could not find a way to solve the riddle of the Zone.

Thus, the C-Consciousness Network became both humanity's source of power and its prison, for without the nodes and the sarcophagi, there will be nothing to contain the Zone and humanity will perish.

26,000 CE

Human civilization was not the only civilization to spread during these great times. Major mutant breeds, such as Bloodsuckers, Chimeras, Burers and Controllers, during these periods were able to create functional and complex societies thanks to humanity's help.

Through social engineering and careful demographic policies, these mutant breeds were able to create strong and prosperous nations alongside human settlements.

The once malevolent bloodsuckers turned out to be great engineers, learning much from what humanity had to teach them. The most promising of these students were brought into human ships and starbases, where their talents were used to maximum effect.

The Burers too advanced many great civilizations around this period, making magnificent underground cities and great temples to honor the "Elder Ones." However, their pursuits were aimed towards the pursuit knowledge, and so many Burers became scientists and researchers under the tutelage of the Ecologists.

The Controllers – who were closest in psychology to humans – were the ones who were able to most closely imitate human society. And due to this affinity, the Controllers became the closest servants of humanity.

For the most part, humanity left all mutant breeds to conduct their affairs, but the ever present power of the Zone, along with its connection with the human psyche, led to the formation of certain religious cults. Many such cults elevated humanity to semi-divine status often with problematic results.

The Great Factions – Duty, Freedom, The Ecologists and The Tribe – attempt to suppress this growing religious movement (seeing it as a threat), but most measures fail to achieve their intended goals.

27,030 CE

The creation of the Star Fortress defense network has begun. These massive FTL-capable mobile space stations were on average 12 km by 10 by 12 km in size, and were cosntructed by the Great Factions to protect human space from possible future Monolith incursions.

Furthermore, these facilities also functioned as Noospheric C-Consciousness Nodes in those areas of human space that were beyond the reach of planet-based nodes. Hundreds of such fortresses were developed over the next few centuries.

30,201 CE

Human Civilization has reached the zenith of its military and technological power, but it was a hollow accomplishment for this power only made them even more dependent on the Zone and its artifacts.

It was also around this time that the Controllers begun to organize the once primitive and decentralized mutant religions, with themselves as the priestly race. This new religion spreads to every planet with a significant mutant population. Humanity attempts to suppress this religion which is, ironically, based around them, but once again they fail to make any significant progress.

32,303 CE

The Mutant Heresy. Adherents of the "Elder One's" religion spark riots all across human space, disrupting the C-Consciousness Network. Fanatical hordes of mutants slaughter each other in a frenzy, forcing humanity to intervene using... %##%#%#% Error#%%%##Error

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32, 304 CE

The Mutants' religious wars have ended, but the old cults have only been partly pacified, and humanity is forced to reevaluate its policies of introducing destructive technologies to the mutant populations.

36,197 CE

A human expeditation arrives at Ilos, and consequently, discover an underground Prothean bunker...

With live Protheans.

36,201 CE

The discovery at Ilos revealed existence of Prothean undeground facilities. Humanity soon begins sending out expeditions to identify other similar Prothean bunkers.

At least a dozen others were found.

36,300 CE

The last Prothean is saved, and they were all transported to an area of space just outside the Zone. Of the Prothean survivors, about 4,000 were saved, and many of them were scientists and leaders.

The Prothean survivors also confirmed the existence of the Reapers. This discovery prompted the Great Factions to revisit their interest in the Mass Effect Technology, the Citadel Construct and the Relays. They also declassify several decrypted data acquired from Monolith wreckage from the last two wars that hint about possible Monolith-Reaper connections.

As for the Prothean survivors, they were horrified at what humanity had become. Testimonies from the survivors indicate that the Protheans had – during the height of their empire - regarded the human race as _Abominations._ It seems that their psychometric abilities told them that there was something very _wrong_ with our species' psy-patterns. Such fears proved correct in retrospect, after the Protheans had learned about the Zone.

It was also discovered by human interrogators that the Protheans had knowledge of Noospheric phenomenon, though not to the same extent that humanity now possessed. The Protheans shunned such technology, deeming them dangerous and unethical. Their human interrogators found it hard to disagree.

Additional information about the Protheans indicate that...

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36,304 CE

Without the means to rebuild their civilization on their own, and at the same time fearing the return of the Reapers, the Protheans reluctantly submit themselves under humanity's protection.

Humanity helps the Protheans terraform a star system in close proximity to the Zone/Human-controlled space.

37,000 CE

Protheans have rebuilt their civilization and now control five fully populated planets on two different star systems. These star systems are located as far away from the Mass Relays as possible, owing to the Prothean fear of the Reapers. The Protheans were also given some of humanity's technologies, though Prothean cultural paranoia about Noospheric technology and human hesitance to share their tech-base limits this exchange to relatively minor technologies.

In their turn, the Protheans improve humanity's understanding of Mass Effect Technology. Despite favorable relations, however, some Protheans regard humanity and their uplifted mutant as abominations, urging their leaders to distance themselves from what they deemed to be "a threat to the galaxy every bit as dangerous as the Reapers."

Despite these frictions, however, relations continue to be strong, and humanity heeds the warnings of the Protheans about the existence of the Reaper threat.

37,885CE

Vladimir Shepard is born in one of the Tribe's numerous Star Fortresses.

37,950 CE

Vladimir Shepard is initiated into the N7 elite regiment of the Tribe.

38,849CE

The Fall.

On the outskirts of the Zone, tens of thousands of Reaper gather to enter the Zone. Their goal: To exterminate humanity and thus destroy the source of the Zone. Humanity couldn't believe it at first, but after the first Reaper ships began passing through human defenses, no doubts lingered.

Human expeditionary fleets attempt to prevented the Reapers from massing but to no avail.

The Intelligence Community at that time did not know why the Reapers launched their war in this manner. According to the Protheans, the Reapers usually preferred to infiltrate their targets prior to an all-out attack, and did not behave in this manner.

Something was not right.

38,850 CE

The Reapers descend upon humanity like a tempest, destroying entire fleets and cities, but Humanity was prepared. The Star Fortresses (originally designed to stop Monolith incursions) are quickly deployed against the new threat.

At the same time, humanity activates the Brain Scorcher, a complex defense system that not only disrupts psy-patterns, but also allows humanity to remotely create anomalies and emissions anywhere within the confines Zone.

Dozens of Reaper ships are destroyed by the Zone's Anomalies before they could make contact with human forces.

Moreover, humanity's non-reliance on Mass Effect Technology as well as their understanding of Noospheric technology render them invulnerable to strategic and tactical limitations as well as Reaper Indoctrination.

The Reaper threat grinds to a halt.

38,852 CE

Over 150,000 Reaper ships – the total Reaper fleet – arrives. Their numbers are too great.

The Prothean fleets and armies arrive, but even with their help, the Reapers continue to press their attack, heedless of their casualties. Intelligence analysts hinted that this frenzied, brutal attack meant that the Reapers were somehow afraid of the Zone, and that they saw as much of a threat as we saw them.

Whatever the reasons may be, the situation was very dire, human forces on both Luyten and Sirius are depleted as the Reapers use their numbers to overwhelm one human world after another.

38,853

Monolith forces have returned. With them are several thousands of ships and armies. Among their fleets are 50,000 or so corrupted Reapers, their hulls modified with Noospheric technology, and their holds filled with all manner of Monolith mutated monstrosities.

At the head of this massive fleet is the Reaper Harbinger and inside, the Stalker Scar.

Their arrival was heralded by a repeating broadcast:

I Am The Monolith.  
Я Есть Монолит.  
I Am the Granter of Wishes.  
Я Исполнитель Желаний.  
I Am The Servant of The Zone.  
Я - Слуга Зоны.  
I Am The Hidden Will of Humanity.  
Я - Скрытая Воля Человечества.  
Your Destiny Will Soon Come True  
Скоро Твоя Судьба Исполнится.  
Come to Me.  
Иди ко мне.

Monolith forces attack humanity's flank, while most of the Star Fortresses and armies were busy with the Reapers.

Humanity's fleets and armies are quickly routed.

The only bright spot in all of this was that the Reapers were just as eager to engage Monolith forces as they were to exterminate humanity. And thus, our enemies fought each other.

38,854 CE

The Great Betrayal

With the war against the Monolith and the Reapers going badly for humanity, the Protheans faced the possibility of a second annihilation. Their armies were being routed and their new homes and planets were now being bombarded by various Reaper ships.

Such tribulations inspired many of their leaders to ponder "alternative options."

One such option involved siding with Monolith forces. Faced with extermination at the hands of Reapers, the Protheans switched sides to the Monolith.

Intercepted transmissions during this period between Scar and many high ranking Prothean nobles indicate that the Monolith promised the Protheans the Galaxy and the destruction of the Reapers, in exchange for leaving the Zone and humanity under their control. Compared to the option of fighting a losing war alongside humanity, the Prothean nobles took up Scar's offer.

38,855 CE

The war continues, but humanity remains unbowed.

Commander Vladimir Shepard of the Tribe achieves multiple victories on different planets against Prothean, Monolith and Reaper forces, halting their advance and giving humanity a brief glimmer of hope.

38,858 CE

After three bitter years of brutal, unceasing war, the end has finally come.

Faced with no other option and defeat imminent, human leaders were forced to play the last card they had left: The Zone.

According to Ecologist Scientists, humanity "could" potentially create a powerful "Super-Emission" that could swallow up all human space if they overload the C-Consciousness Network. Such an emission is estimated to have the destructive capabilities of multiple super-novas. With no other options left, the Great Factions approve the plan but only after heated debate.

One by one, the C-Consciousness Nodes were overloaded, disrupting the natural stability of the Zone. Then, like a sudden force of nature, the Zone unleashed its power. The Super-Emission devoured all human controlled space, destroying Reaper, Human, Monolith and Prothean indiscriminately.

This super-emission lasted for only 3 to 4 hours, but it was something that the galaxy had never seen before. Humanity had unleashed a weapon so terrible that even the Reapers fled in its wake.

When the destruction was over, around 130,000 Reapers had been destroyed, with the rest fleeing away from human space as quickly as they can. Monolith Forces too had incurred many losses, but they had anticipated this move, and had prepared accordingly. In fact, this was precisely what the Monolith wanted: The destruction of the C-Consciousness and the Destabilization of the Zone. Humanity had sacrificed its control over the Zone in order to defeat the Reapers, and it is a sacrifice that the species will never be able to recover from. So despite their loses, the Monolith had achieved its goals.

The greatest loser in all of this, however, were the Protheans, who after having lost their planets (the very same planets given to them by humanity shortly after rescuing them) to the attacking Reapers and the trust of their human allies, were left with an enigmatic and capricious ally: The Monolith.

Many Protheans wanted to go back to Humanity to ask their pardon, but human space was now a giant disaster area. Anomalies the size of planets and moons infested human space, and the lingering effects of the Super-Emission and the Brain Scorcher meant that they couldn't reach the humans even if the humans wanted to forgive them.

Left with no other choice and their planets destroyed, the pitiful remnants of the Protheans followed the Monolith back into Dark Space, distrustful of their "Allies" but powerless to choose any other option.

Somewhere along the way, Monolith forces turn on the Protheans and subvert them mind, body and soul, twisting their very natures into monstrosities, and thus the last of the Protheans perished, not from the Reapers, but their own treachery.

They traded one monster for another.

38,859 CE

The Third Long Dark War is Over. With their forces destroyed by the Super-Emission, both Monolith and Reaper fleets have retreated to Dark Space.

Data gathered from salvaged Monolith ships and captives revealed that shortly after the Second Long Dark War (9750 CE), The Monolith entity and its forces retreated beyond the borders of the Milky Way Galaxy using Noospheric Matter-Displacement FTL. There, they were able to form their own starbases within asteroids.

Furthermore, it was also discovered by Tribe and Duty operatives that Monolith forces at this time slowly but secretly subverted a certain number of Reaper vessels in Dark Space over a span of several thousand years. It turns out that Reaper "Indoctrination" technology was based on Noospheric principles. Thus, Monolith forces were able to turn the Reapers' Indoctrination technology on them. The Monolith's subversion would have continued had not plot not been discovered by the Reapers themselves, most notably the entity identified as Sovereign.

The discovery of the Monolith by Sovereign had caused a civil war between subverted and un-subverted Reapers, which partly explains the reckless tactics used by the Reapers against humanity. They were scared of the Monolith, and by extension, humanity.

Analysts suggest that the Monolith had originally intended to subvert all then Reapers, much in the same way it had used the Yahg and Rachni several millennia ago, and then use them to crush human resistance and then subvert a significantly weakened humanity. However, when this plan was no longer feasible it was forced to use another strategy.

Instead of attacking the Zone with a commandeered Reaper fleet, the Monolith simply sought to lure the Reapers into attacking humanity. This strategy aimed to achieve two goals. The first is the destruction of human civilization and the C-Consciousness Network, thus eliminating humanity's control over the Zone. This analysis is supported by the theory that the Monolith is the servant of the Zone, essentially a kind of super-ego that serves the psychic evolutionary goals of the otherwise semi-sentient Zone. If this is true then it follows that the Zone has directed the Monolith to destroy the C-Consciousness, thus freeing it from human control.

The second goal was more straightforward: The destruction of the Reapers. Analysts believed that the Monolith had anticipated humanity's move to overload the C-Consciousness, and with this knowledge, it knew that such a move could potentially destroy the vast majority of the Reapers in the galaxy, thus eliminating another major threat to the Zone.

This explains why the Reapers attacked the Zone in such overwhelming numbers. They were provoked into doing so by Monolith forces, who then launched their own attack to push humanity into a position where it will overload the C-Consciousness, thus destroying the invading Reapers.

In light of these theories, human analysts came to several conclusions. The first goal was achieved with tremendous success. The C-Consciousness was destroyed, and even if it could be rebuilt, humanity could not control the Zone to the same extent that it once did.

The second goal, however, was only partially achieved. Although the vast majority of the Reaper fleet had been destroyed, approximately 20,000 Reapers were able to flee from the Great Emission, and most of these were Capital Ships. These survivors were the ones closest to the borders of the Zone/Human Space, and thus were able to escape the destruction more easily. From what little evidence operatives have collected, it seems that the survivors of the Reaper fleet had retreated back into dark space, presumably to recover from their loses.

As for the Monolith and its chief lieutenant Scar, they did not seek to press their attack, for their forces had also been decimated by the Great Emission, and they too needed to retreat back to Dark Space in order to replenish their forces. But this did not trouble the Monolith for it knew that humanity will never be able to control the Zone ever again, not even if they were to rebuild the C-Consciousness Network.

The Zone had become too powerful, and time was on the Monolith's side.

For humanity, however, the Third Long, Dark War was a disaster. With billions dead, their cities destroyed and the Zone unstable, the future looked bleak. However, the greatest disaster of all was the loss of the C-Consciousness Network. Humanity had sacrificed its control over the Zone in order to destroy the Reaper incursion, and though victorious, the price was too high. Mutation rates were increasing. Birthrates were declining. And the Zone was becoming powerful.

Some tried to rebuild what could be rebuilt, but the vast majority of the survivors go underground into their Sarcophagi, there to rest and salvage what little could be saved of their diminishing humanity.

38,860 CE

Commander Vladimir Shepard, the Hero of the Reaper Incusion, disappears. No one knows his precise whereabouts but information suggests that...

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After several months, however, Shepard turns up on the backwater planet of Shanxi under the pseudonym "Reaper." Information about his former whereabouts remains unknown.

46,500 CE

After developing faster-than-light spacefaring capabilities based upon Prothean technology, the asari begin to explore the mass relay network, and eventually discover the huge Citadel space station at a hub of many mass relays.

46, 520 CE

The salarians discover the Citadel and open diplomatic relations with the asari.

46,580 CE

The Citadel Council is formed. The asari and salarians together colonize the Citadel and establish it as a center of the galactic community, led by the Council. This year is also known as 0 GS, the beginning of the Galactic Standard (GS) timeline.

As a gesture of openness with their new asari allies, the Salarian Union opens the records of the League of One. Under threat, the League responds by assassinating every member of the Union's inner cabinet; Special Tasks Group operatives then hunt down and eliminate the League.

Investigations by STG operatives also find disturbing evidence of various league members' affiliations with long forgotten "Sto'kor" cults.

46,596 CE

The Citadel Council makes first contact with the Krogan Empire. Seven years later, the Krogans become the third member of the Citadel Council.

46,700 CE

The first sightings of the Collectors are reported in the Terminus Systems. In Citadel space, the claims are dismissed as unsubstantiated rumors and tall tales.

46,792 CE

First contact is made with the volus. Eventually, the Citadel Council commissions the volus to draw up the Unified Banking Act, which establishes a standard galactic currency known as the credit and links all galactic economies.

46,793 CE

The Turian Civil War occurs. The increasingly isolated and xenophobic colonies on the frontiers of turian space declare their independence from the increasingly corrupt and bureaucratic Turian Hierarchy. After years of fighting, the Turian Hierarchy sweeps in to pacify the colonies.

Decades of war and guerrilla warfare ensue, as secessionist colonies fortify their territories against the fleets and armies of the Hierarchy.

46,800 CE

The Council grants the volus the honor of being the first non-Council species with an embassy at the Citadel, rather than a Council seat.

46,812 CE

First contact is made with the batarians. They are granted an embassy.

46,824 CE

The asari discover the elcor home system and help the elcor locate and activate their nearest mass relay.

46,836 CE

First contact is made with the hanar and the quarians. Both races are later granted embassies.

46,840 CE

First contact is made with the Turian Hierarchy.

Several days after contact was established, an unidentified Turian fleet descends on a Salarian-Asari corporate colony and butchers its inhabitants. The identity of the perpetrators was never found.

46,841 CE

The Citadel responds to the attack the year before by sending a Krogan fleet into Turian space. What was originally conceived as a "peace-keeping" fleet meant to "apprehend the parties responsible for the tragedy" turned into a blood bath, when the supreme commander of the expeditionary force, General Ganar Wrang, ordered the bombing of several Turian colonies.

These atrocities galvanized all of Turian space against the Citadel expeditionary fleet. Colonial and Hierarchy forces began to band together to fight their common enemy.

The conflict that followed was known to the Turians as the "First Contact War," a bloody six week struggle that resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides.

Upon learning of Wrang's atrocities, the Citadel Council recalls the fleet back into Citadel space and reopens dialog with the Turian Hierarchy.

Knowing that he would be charged as a war criminal once he returns to Citadel space, Wrang escapes and founds the Blood Pack mercenary group in the Terminus Systems.

46,843 CE

Diplomatic talks between the Hierarchy and the Citadel fall apart. Tensions continue, and the Hierarchy begin full scale militarization. A cold war develops between the Citadel and the Turian Hierarchy.

46,895 CE

The geth, machines created by the quarians as a source of cheap labor, become self-aware. Fearing a geth uprising, the quarians begin dismantling them. The geth revolt against their quarian masters.

Quarian leaders petition Citadel leaders for assistance, but are turned down, so instead, they turned to Palaven who respond to the Quarian's aid with their fleets and armies.

Dissatisfied with Citadel laws and politics, the Batarian Hegemony also send armies and fleets to aid the Quarians, seeing the opportunity to form powerful new alliances with the Quarians and the Turians.

The Geth are successfully subdued but with considerable losses. Billions of Quarians died during the war.

Despite the death toll, however, the Geth Uprising ended with a Quarian victory. The New Quarian Republic is soon founded.

47,000 CE

A hundred years after the Geth Uprising, the Quarian Republic's restrictive policies on research and technology, along with cultural paranoia over AI research, has turned the once respected Quarian race into one of the most technologically backward races in the galaxy.

47,500 CE

Palaven, Khar'shan and Rannoch formalize the "Palaven Pact" in an effort to challenge Citadel power.

47,990 CE

The start of the Quarian Civil War. Government forces apprehend several high-ranking "Technologist" personalities for researching illegal Geth technology.

Several days after the apprehension of their leaders, pro-Technologists rebel groups stage several simultaneous uprisings all over Quarian space. Government fleets and forces were routed during the first two months of fighting, but intervention by Hegemony and Hierarchy forces quickly turn the tide of war.

Technologist leaders are quickly apprehended and swiftly executed. Low ranking leaders are given the option of exile mainly as a PR move to placate civil rights interests in Citadel space. Among these exiles is Rael'Zorah and his family.

48,001 CE

The Batarian smuggler and slaver, Edan Had'dah bribe the underpaid and corrupt commanders of the Turian patrol fleets guarding the recently activated Relay 314. His goal was to land an expedition on the "Satakar" planet Shanxi to pillage it of its alien artifacts...

* * *

38,858 CE - Somewhere on Terra

Commander Vladimir Shepard looked up at the sky as he straggled towards a rather comfortable looking rock atop a small grassy knoll. He walked towards it like a drunk man, occasionally throwing a bolt or two to make sure that there no anomalies ahead of him.

 _It was coming. The big one,_ he thought as he reached the rock and sat down on it.

The ground shook and vile winds stung his face. His exo-skeleton was torn and shattered, its artifact amplifiers inactive. His weapons and equipment were either lost or destroyed; and all he had left on him was his Anomaly Detector, a bag of bolts and a bottle of Whiskey.

Hours before, the order came for all human forces to stand down and return to the underground Nodes. When the C-Consciousness is overloaded, those still left topside were going to be in a world of hurt, but Shepard did not heed any of it. Even Anderson ordered him to get underground, but he refused. Shepard really didn't care anymore. He just wanted it all to end.

 _So what's a little pain from an emission?_ He thought

Most humans can survive emissions, having adapted to them after several millennia of mutations, though most would agree that they still hurt "like a mother-fucker." It's such a small price to pay to see Armageddon with your own eyes. The Reaper Incursion as it was known these days was _personal_ for Shepard¸ and he wanted to see the Reapers die.

 _And to hell with the consequences!_ He thought even more gloomily, as he took a swig from his bottle.

And if this emission – THE EMISSION - is strong enough to kill a human being. So what?

"Put me outta my fuckin' misery baby!" He snarled at the air before taking another swig.

In the distance, he could spy the vague shapes of the Reapers destroying a few buildings, oblivious of the coming destruction. Above, he could see tiny dots that he knew to be ships, ships that belonged to the cursed Monolith and the treacherous Protheans.

Now that humanity was out of the picture, they turned on each other. Shepard couldn't help but smirk, for it was somehow funny to him.

 _That's what they think,_ he thought. _This isn't over yet._

He stopped. The shaking of the earth was getting stronger.

It was starting.

Suddenly, as if due to some spontaneous urge, (and because he was fast running out of whiskey) he began to sing in a drunk, drawling voice: "Miraculous crystal... Given by stars. I can foresee the future. In fabulous glass."

He collected saliva and spat at the air in fury, as if to say _Fuck this galaxy!_ _Fuck the Reapers! Fuck the Monolith! Fuck the Factions! Fuck the Protheans! Fuck Everything!_

"Lie spilt on the caves... Mock scribbled on us. Earth's doom day is close," he sang, and as he did so, the quake became stronger as if the Zone sang with him. The air became red as blood, and in the distance, the sun looked black and demonic. The Emission. THE EMISSION. _It was here._

"Dancing on the ashes of the world... I behold the stars," he snickered to himself, took a last swig and then hurled his empty whiskey bottle at the nearest rock.

"H-heavy... burp... gale is blowing to my face. Rising up the dust." He paused to regard his surroundings, as if the next moments were his last. His vision became distorted as the Emission became stronger. "Barren lands are desperate to blossom. Dark stars strive to shine. I still remember blue oceans on this dying world..."

Then the emission erupted in full force, swallowing Shepard in a furious tide of Noospheric energy.

* * *

For those who can't be bothered to read the timeline, here's a tongue in cheeki breeki summary:

This isn't really a chapter, more like additional notes for people who keep complaining to me about the Timeline being too difficult to follow.

I repeat, this is not a chapter. It's just an extra that I added for those who don't want to bother reading the whole timeline.

* * *

2000 years before the coming of the Zone, Protheans are pawned by Reapers. Survivors go into hiding in underground bunkers.

2000 years pass, Zone appears in Ukraine thanks to hippy scientists who created the first C-Consciouness. Strelok pawns the first C-Consciousness. Causes Zone to spread to the rest of the world. Humans chimp out because their gubmints dead. Zone spreads faster due to the human herpity derp derp.

Decades later, Earth is covered by the Zone, but not to worry, we have FTL technology based on the Teleportation Anomalies. Yay. We're outta here.

Humans colonize other planets. But wait... Why are there anomalies here? Whoah there's another one, and another. What the hell?

Bill Nye the Science Guy Appears: Ah, you see. It's because the Zone is the result of humanity's fractured Noosphere – our collective psy-consciousness. And since humans bring their noosphere wherever they go, it follows that they bring the Zone wherever they go also.

So nice going spreading the psychic space cancer, humanity.

Everybody stop colonizing. You're only making it worse! Dammit!

Also, since humans don't use Mass Effect tech or Relays, and are isolated in a small section of the galaxy where there are very few relays, they are not detected by Giant Robot Shellfish. Also, Monolith forces discover the Reapers first and to make sure that they don't learn about the Zone or Humanity because it doesn't want the Reapers to hurt the Zone.

Monolith forces also hunt down individual Reaper ships to make them go all "All hail the Monolith."

Humanity stays put and creates small isolated communities on their colonies to reduce the spread of the _Zones_.

Creation of C-Consciousness Network to control the Zone

Suddenly, Monolith scum. Lots of killing happens, as Monolith forces attempt to destroy or control the C-Consciousness Network.

Monolith defeated and runs away like a bitch.

Centuries pass, and humanity is all happy, but still can't solve the problem of the Zone, but hey at least we're no longer dying rite, guise?

Suddenly, another Monolith attack. This time, with mutated Rachni and Yahg auxiliaries.

"Hai guise. Miss us? Please let us use the C-Consciousness. We promise we'll totally give it back after."

Fuuuuuuck

Humanity: Why do you keep trying to blow up the C-Consciousness?

Monolith: Because you're using it to control the Zone, and that's not cool, brah!

Bunch of killing happens. Monolith retreat to Rachni and Yahg homeworlds, which are their new bases. These worlds are also like Earth in that they had Zones. Turns out that the Monolith had corrupted the Noosphere of the Rachni and Yahg homeworlds, turning both species into their mutant slaves.

Humanity: Lol Exterminatus time.

Rachni and Yahg worlds go boom. Both races exterminated except for the ones that the Monolith forces took with them when they escaped.

Over the next few years, humanity discovered that Monolith forces were busy colonizing various parts of the galaxy while they remained in self-imposed isolation, because "we can't spread the Zone, y'all!"

Sudden policy change happens.

Humans start exploring, but only in very small groups. Discover primitive aliens known as the Asari, Krogan, Turians, Salarians, etc...

Turns out that Monolith forces were planning to do to them what they did to the Rachni and Yahg. Humans – particularly Stalker volunteers - protect these infant races from the Monolith.

Slowly, but surely, the humans hunt down Monolith forces. However, thanks to non-Mass Effect FTL, Monolith forces retreat into dark space and there start to work on their next puppets: The Reapers. So they begin to slowly but surely mind control Reapers.

Monolith: "Lol Indoctrination. Amateurs."

After a few thousand years, Zone now covers the vast majority of Human occupied space. We Veil of Madness now, but it's not so bad, because we golden age now too.

Humanity soon discovers Prothean underground bunkers. Protheans tell humans about the Reapers, and Humans help the Protheans.

After about a thousand years, Protheans have restored their population and their tech-based.

Humanity: We so happy.

Prothean: Whatever freaks. Give us more tech, so we can be ready to fight off the Robo-Cuttlefish when they arrive.

Golden Age continues.

So much win.

We immortal now. Awesome.

We have psychic powers now. Breddy Gud.

We have uplifted mutant servants who love us. Awww yeah.

Protheans are our best buds. (No we're not) Cool.

We super powers. Life couldn't be better.

Meanwhile, in deep space:

Reaper1: All hail the Monolith. Anuuu Cheeki Breeki V Damke.

Reaper2: Are you okay, dude?

Reaper1: Blyat Suka!

Reaper2: What the Hell? What's this in your brain. Hey You!

Monolith: Oh. Oh. Time for Plan B.

Reaper2: Everybody, we got a situation here. Bob was mindcontrolled by some thing-y.

Reaper3: Wait, we're supposed to be the ones doing the mind-controlling.

Reaper2: That's not important. Get your shit together. We got a problem on our hands. Oh damn, those bastards mind controlled Willy and Georgy too.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Reapers arrive in human space. "Where're are those little fucking bast..." Sees humanity. "Holy shit, what the hell is this cancer?"

Robo exterminator mode activated.

Holy Shit! It's the Reapers.

Humanity fights epic speees war that you will never read about or see, because I'm too lazy to write it.

Suddenly, Monolith appears too: Hehehehehhehe. We troll you. We fooled the Reapers into coming here. Huuurr Durrr Durrr

Dick!

Anuuuuu Cheeeki Breeeki Vah Damke. Mutated Rachni, Yahg and Monolith Human Soldiers attack. Monolith controlled Reapers also make their assault.

Humans now fighting a two pronged assault. Start losing badly.

Humans to Protheans: Well, this is fucked up, but at least we still have you on our side, right best buds?

Monolith: Psst. Protheans. Come join us. We'll totally help you take revenge on the Reapers.

Protheans: But the humans saved our species from extinction.

Monolith: We'll help you rebuild your eeeeempiiiiiire.

Protheans: For realsies?

Monolith: Yeah sure, whatever.

Suddenly, Prothean treachery!

Humanity: What the hell?

Prothean: Sorry, bro, but they said they'll help us rebuild our empire. Thanks for saving us by the way. Not!

Humanity: Fuck you guys.

Humanity gets eifelled on both ends. Human forces routed. Survivors retreat to the underground bunker nodes for a last stand, as Monolith and Reaper forces attack humanity on two sides. The only good news is that Reaper and Monolith-Prothean forces start to fight each as humans drop out of the fight.

Well, shit. What do we do now?

Suddenly, idea! Let's overload the C-Consciousness Network.

In a dramatic voice: You're a madman. The emission that will cause will make the Zone even more fucked up, and undo everything we've done for the past thousands of years!

We'll roll the dice.

C-Consciousness overloaded. Brain Scorcher activated. The entire event is the equivalent of nuking your own country to kill off its invaders.

Majority of Reapers, Monolith and Prothean forces obliterated. Human occupied space is now a giant Eye of Terror, except without Chaos Spess Mahreens. Entire systems are swallowed up by titanic emissions. Planet sized Anomalies appear. Artifacts the size of small asteroids appear as well. Zone goes full menopause.

Protheans, Monolith and Reapers: Everybody retreat!

Reaper ships go from around 150,000 to only about 20,000 after their attack.

Humans: Yes! We won... by blowing ourselves up and our civilization. Take that Xenos and Heretics. Humanity Fuck Yeah!

Actuallleee, everybody lost. Simultaneously.

Monolith: Fugg you! I won. Just as plaaaanned. Derp.

Reaper 2: Wait, did we just lose?

Reaper 3: Yeah, kinda.

Reaper 2: Well, what do we do now?

Reaper 3: Let's go back to deep space and think of something else.

Monolith: HAHAHAHAAHA. Just as planned!

Protheans: Was getting your fleet pawned part of your plan?

Monolith: Of coursh!

Protheans: Well, congratulations. You got pawned. What's the next step in your master plan?

Monolith: Crashing this galaxy with no survivors!

Monolith then proceeds to mindrape what's left of the Protheans.

ARRGGGHhhh. BLRGAGAGGBLRRAG

Protheans: All Hail teh Monolith.

Despite their retreat, Monolith forces got precisely what they wanted: The destabilization of the Zone, the destruction of human civilization and the crippling of the Reapers.

After several millennia, Asari and Salarians have happy space UN.

"Collectors" begin to appear in the Terminus sector.

Due to "Stokar" influence in their early histories, the Krogan evolved to become less warlike, and without the need to fight any Rachni (since humanity killed most of them), no Genophage.

Citadel encounters Hierarchy. Diplomatic incident happens.

Hierarchy and Hegemony team up in an alliance of convenience against the Citadel. Space Cold War ensues.

On Rannoch, Geth Rebellion happens.

"Halp! Citadel!"

"Lol. Nope."

"Fine! We'll go ask the Turians for help then!"

Qurians with help from the Turians pwn Geth. We love you Turians! Leaves Citadel and become luddites.

Quarians go full Mechanicus after their traumatic experience.

Everybody hates everybody.

Present Day (46,000 years later):

Human space is still a gigantic space shithole, and humanity is mutating/dying due to the Zone. muh mutations and declining birthrates.

The Hierarchy, Hegemony and the Quarians are facing off against the Asari, Salarians and Krogan in a Space Cold War that may potentially end in mutual extermination.

Oh, and the Reapers and Monolith are returning to anally rape everybody very soon.

Anomalous Effect in a nutshell everybody.

* * *

Hi, I'm Comrade Shepard and this is my favorite Vodka. Get out of here Suka.


	10. Chapter 10

Little typo on the timeline in the previous chapter. The last entry said 48,801 CE. It was actually supposed to be 48,001 CE.

Made some changes on previous chapters due to errors. Modern human civilization is 46,000 years old (dating from the first appearance of the Zone to the present), and not 48,000 years old. Error has been corrected.

* * *

This chapter is meant to be a continuation of the snippet from the previous chapter. We will return to the main story line in the next chapter.

* * *

Shepard? What do you want me to I say about, Shepard?

Shepard was the greatest hero of the Third, Long Dark War. He was the champion of humanity during those evil years...

Oh, you want me to talk about _that_.

Well, there's not much to say about that too. After the war, he disappeared. No trace of him was ever found nor were there any clues as to where he had gone to. We really didn't know where he went.

He reappeared several years later, and began traveling to one unaligned colony after another before finally settling on Shanxi. When we tried to contact him, he claimed that he was a Stalker now. Had his own call-sign too. _Reaper_ , they call him.

Can you imagine that? Reaper! Now that's a hell of a joke.

Steven – I mean that Khan Emperor and I tried to get him to return to the _Tribe_. He was our first born, our prodigal son, and we wanted him back...

But he refused. Every time. He kept refusing until we called it quits. Left him to rot in that backwater planet at the edge of the Zone, but we still keep a close eye on him, or at least, we like to think so.

I don't know what the hell happened to Shepard after the war, but Stalkers? Well, Stalkers are dangerous. One of the most dangerous creatures in this twisted galaxy.

God only knows where he went during those years when he disappeared.

\- Admiral David Anderson, 45,020 CE

* * *

38,859 CE – Shortly After the Super-Emission

 _Shepard felt the emission all around him, a flood of energy and power consuming the last drops of his sanity. But it gave him many other sensations as well: Visions of distant places became known to him, and he knew that it was the Zone calling out to him, showing him what he desired to see._

 _Shepard's mind swam in an ocean of flame, and as his mind entered into a torpor, he became one with the Zone. Everything within the Zone's influence was opened to him, and he felt like a smaller God within a larger one._

 _His sensations of the Emission was like a blanket that covered entire stars and planets with its malevolent power, consuming everything in its path, twisting nature itself into some horrifying, bestial caricature of itself._

 _Shepard felt the power of entire planets and stars. He heard the song of the solar winds. He saw corrupted life grow and die. He felt the passage of time flow through him in the blink of an instant and then as the slow crawling of dust waiting for change to make its move. He saw the red-tainted skies of human worlds, consumed by the fires of the Great Emission. He felt the fearful eyes of mutated creatures, looking out from their caves and burrows in fear._

 _He felt, saw and heard it all._

 _And the greatest among these sensations were the death screams of the Reapers as they struggled to flee from the Zone's wrath. The living machines died by the thousands as the Zone's power crushed them, and Shepard felt pleasure at this experience, for in this dream within a dream his mind had deluded itself into thinking that he was one with the Zone._

 _This was the sensation that he sought: To be the Destroyer of the Reapers, and he reveled in it. He was an insect on top of the head of a mighty predator, deluding itself that it was the killer and not merely a spectator._

 _The Reaper Fleets, The Monolith Armies, and The Treacherous Prothean Turncoats... They were all consumed by the Zone, the Dark Daughter of Humanity. Like a tempest, her Emission devoured entire star systems and covered entire planets in anomalies. Even the void between the stars and planets were not spared from her wrath, and all knew her fury._

 _Amidst the swirling images, painful memories of the war came crashing back into his thoughts. Distant battlefields of ash and blood flooded his mind, as did shadowy images of tunnels and caves filled with the terrible eyes of Monolith monstrosities and the dead eyes of Reaper Drones. He saw the Star Fortresses fill the empty void with their fury, and he recalled the terrors of the Reapers._

 _Amidst the devastation, faces of dead comrades came back to him – faded memories that he thought he had forgotten along with whatever happiness that still lingered in his heart. He remembered the joys of victory and the sorrows of defeat; the honor of comrades and the treachery of the Protheans._

 _He remembered human life and human society, but most all, he remembered – no, experienced the emission: The Song-Scream of the Zone, as it devoured everything in its path._

 _And as the last of the visions died away, a new feeling emerged. It was drawing him closer; calling out to him in a strange, yet familiar voice. It was melodious and beautiful, but also terrible and deadly._

 _Come to Meeee... It called out._

 _Hesitatingly, Shepard obeyed, and he felt himself falling asleep within his own dream._

 _But something was amiss. The voice calling out to him was not making him rest, but robbing him of his will. He was being stripped of his humanity._

 _This revelation awakened his instincts, and Shepard struggled to react. He fought back with his mind and his will; remembering the dangers of the Zone and many other enemies, enemies who could harm mind as well as flesh._

 _He had fought Monolith Soldiers before, mutated abominations of carven flesh, and because of this, he knew the call of the Monolith; that gestalt-consciounsess that calls out to all of humanity, forcing them to relinquish their will. He had also felt the 'Indoctrination' of the Reapers too; that mechanical tool of subversion that conquered aliens species in cycles past._

 _But this call... This was different._

 _It was neither the Monolith nor the Reapers who called out to him._

 _It was the Zone._

 _It was the Zone that called out to him. His deepest self knew this to be true. It was not the Monolith, but the Zone that was calling out to him._

 _It wanted him to become its champion._

 _Come to me... It said._

 _Cooome tooo Meeeee..._

 _Idiii Ko Mnyeeee..._

 _Shepard then felt time slip away. He was not sure if he was in the future, in the past or if he was still being consumed by the Emission. The voices, images and memories began to merge together. Reaper, Monolith, Prothean, Human, Stalkers... All these images became one, and they were joined by other images, and other sounds._

 _Come to Me, Shepard._

 _He saw an Asari. Then he saw a Turian – no two of them, which seemed strange to him because he had never visited either Palaven or Thessia._

 _He also saw a Krogan, a Quarian and Salarian, and they seemed strange to him because they were not the primitives that he saw on the holovids._

 _"This is the future, Shepard," the Krogan answered his thought-questions. "We're no longer as primitive as we once were."_

 _"Wrex?" Shepard asked, and he was surprised that he knew the Krogan's name._

 _"That's Spectre Urdnot Wrex to you, Stalker..." The Krogan was going to say more, but his voice trailed off._

 _Minutes became years and became minutes again, and Shepard felt that reality of his vision turn into into a chaotic mess of information that would sooner drive him mad than make him understand._

 _"Shepard... Please, you must help us. Your kind protected us once, how can you just abandon us?" The Asari asked._

 _"Where have you been!" The Quarian snarled at him amidst her pain. "You wretched Creatures! Answer me! Where have you been?! You were supposed to protect us. You were supposed to make everything okay!"_

 _"I know the truth, human," the flanged voice of a Turian accused. "I know your filthy little secrets."_

 _More voices came, and then they turned into screams. And from the burning stars, THEY returned. The Reapers. And The Monolith. One to Harvest Life; The Other, to corrupt it._

 _And then the Darkness consumed him._

 _Come to Me..._

* * *

Behind closed eyes and silent nightmares, Shepard's mind still swam in his experiences with the Great Emission. It had changed him, and was still changing him, but he could not yet understand nor comprehend this change

Truth be told, he had expected to die from the Emission. It had certainly been powerful enough, and he was no stranger to the phenomenon. He knew which emissions can kill and which ones can turn a perfectly healthy human body into a putrid pool of genetic goo. The Great Emission should have killed him, but even in his dreams, there remained the certainty that he still lived.

Like all humans, he had encountered emissions many times before. He even experienced them first hand. It was simply part and parcel of living in the Zone; an unavoidable evil. Being caught in an emission – and he had been caught in two during his relatively short life (once during his rebellious youth and the other during a training exercise gone wrong) – was like experiencing the most exquisite pleasures along with the most agonizing pains simultaneously.

"Like getting the best blowjob while getting your head cracked open," another Freedomer explained.

But those two moments were nothing compared to the Great Emission... He wanted the emission to show him the destruction of the Reapers and then to destroy him - a nice, little Faustian bargain. It gave him his first request, but it also denied him the second, as if to punish him for his vanity.

When he walked into that terrible storm of Noospheric energy, he imagined himself as the sacrificial hero in a great epic – martyr and champion combined into one. Shepard surrendered himself to the Super Emission, but instead of death, it gave him dark dreams and ominous prophecies.

This was the Zone's punishment.

He knew that his suicidal act had been motivated by anguish and vanity; knew that he had allowed his brooding weariness to overcome him, but he didn't care. The Third Long, Dark War had taken its toll on him, and after the decision to overload the C-Consciounsess, his last ounce of resolve faltered.

The C-Consciousness was the very center of all human civilization. Without it, they would not be able to control the Zone, and though they could certainly rebuild this network, the Great Emission will guarantee that they will no longer be able to control the Zone to the same degree that they once did.

And if they could not control the Zone then the Zone will destroy humanity. It was only a matter of time. All humans knew this. It was certain. They could hold back the tide for a few millennia, but humanity will dwindle just like in ancient times, and this time, there was nothing they could do to stop it. They will slowly die out.

It didn't matter how long they could hold back the powers of the Zone. After the Great Emission, their doom was inevitable, and it was this despair that drove Shepard to meet the Great Emission.

Humanity had sacrificed the C-Consciousness to win the Third Long, Dark War, and in doing so, guaranteed their own inevitable extinction. How can someone who gave so much defending humanity against the Reapers not surrender to despair before that?

* * *

Shepard opened his eyes to see only darkness, and the animal part of his brain screamed in terror that he is dead. However, the smell of moss and the somber echoes of the wind reminded him that he yet lived. His nose detected the moisture of nearby water, and his weary flesh told him that he lay upon some dirty cot, half covered with mold and other dirty things.

All these clues told him that he was in a cave of some kind, and as his eyes, focused, he could see the faint glow of a distant anomaly field, a burner anomaly by the looks of it. He also noticed a _Firefly_ artifact set on a primitive artifact pedestal slightly next his cot, its power healing whatever wounds he may have had in his body.

Shepard tried to rise, but as he did so, pain shot through his limbs, causing him to whimper for the first time since his boot camp days. Despite the Firefly's effects, his body was a mess: multiple broken bones, organs that barely functioned and a nervous system that was recently exposed to the most powerful emission known to man. Shepard felt helpless, and this helplessness brought on the return of fear and anger.

"Hello! Who's there?" He called out to his savior, but only darkness and silent echoes responded to him.

As he lay there, helpless and immobile, save for the faint light of the Firefly and the Burner anomalies nearby, fear and anger turned into self-pity, but he clamped down on his emotions, and he forced his mind into focused calmness.

Suddenly, Shepard became aware of another presence. It was heralded by the swishing of old fabric and heavy footfalls. At the edge of his vision, he could make out bipedal image. It was not hunched like a Bloodsucker, and it moved too quickly for a Controller, so he assumed that it was human. However, the dread of the darkness returned some of his old uncertainty and once again, the fear that he was the prisoner of some hitherto unknown Zone-spawned monstrosity returned to haunt his thoughts.

Unwilling to be passive in his fate, Shepard sent out a telepathic message, but the creature did not answer. Instead, he looked at his direction, and began approaching him like dark wraith, heavy footfalls growing louder and louder.

As he came closer, Shepard noticed that his mysterious savior wore a primitive DIY body armor of come kind and an old cloak. His face was covered by a primitive rubber gasmask. It was hard to make out the details in the darkness, but these clues confirmed that the strange creature was indeed human.

He seemed harmless enough, thought Shepard, but years of fighting and killing had taught him to detect danger no matter how subtly hidden it may be.

This creature was dangerous. His instincts were certain of it. The way it walked, moved and picked its way through the darkness proved to Shepard that this was no clumsy creature to be easily subdued. This was a casual killer, and in his incapacitated state, Shepard was at his mercy.

Unwilling to give the stranger the initiative, he decided to open the dialogue on his own terms. "Name, Rank and Affiliation," he demanded, gambling on the strong possibility that this creature was human.

The creature did not respond. Instead, it lit a small, primitive oil lamp at the foot of Shepard's bed. With this light, Shepard discovered that the cave was much larger than he thought, and that the creature was – as he suspected – human. Eager for answers, he repeated his earlier demand, "Name. Rank. Affiliation."

Again, the man refused to answer, but it sat down to the left of Shepard, on a dried piece of wood. He then took off his gas mask, revealing to Shepard a strong, but wrinkled face with a strong jaw covered by a stubble. A long time ago, this face would have been considered handsome, but age, sorrow and the trials of the Zone had made it look old. It was not aged in a dying or wilting sense, but in the sense that its wisdom and patience had drained away whatever joy or pleasure the man once had.

He stared at Shepard with calm, blue eyes and features that were unmistakably Slavic, and the younger man did his best to hold his gaze.

"My name is Mikhailo Tarasov," the old human said in a deep voice, and Shepard failed to detect the sorrow that entered it when he said his name. It had been _so long_ since he spoke his own name. "Major Mikhailo Tarasov, and my first affiliation is – or was - with the _Armed_ Forces of _Ukraine."_

Shepard's eyes widened at the mention of Ukraine. His mind remembered his history lessons. Ukraine. Ukraine. Ukraine had been a country in ancient days. In fact, it was the country where the Zone first appeared, which could only mean...

"You're an Ante-Maledictii!" Shepard said in surprise.

"Ante-Maledictii!" Tarasov uttered the title with contempt. "Yes," and his frown deepened, "I suppose I'm one those."

The Ante-Maledictii or as they are sometimes called "Old Timers" are humans who have lived before or during the first appearance of the Zone, and have survived until modern times. Most of these were Stalkers, but it also included humans who possessed a special link with the Zone. This link, many theorized, was the reason why some humans were immortal: The Zone did not want them to die, or perhaps, the Zone was as dependent on them, as they are on it.

Humans don't age any more of course. The influence of the Zone had permanently altered the human DNA, but like most things in the Zone, this immortality came at a cost: Genetic Degradation. Death was no longer the ceasing of life, but its complete corruption. This "death" is prevented through several means, including controlled mutation procedures, the use of _Black Heart_ artifacts and Noospheric hibernation in the C-Consciouness.

Most humans require these measures in order to stay human. The only ones who did not need them were the Ante-Maledictii, who for some reason are allowed by the Zone to retain most of their humanity.

Moreover, given their incredible age, the Ante-Maledictii were revered (and feared) by human society, not only because of their age and experience, but also because of their connection with the Zone.

Shepard had met a few of them during the war. They were a strange lot to say the least, which is not surprising since many of them were Stalkers. In most cases, they kept to themselves, but the few who were talkative often talked about the _ancient days_ , when "we were still human." Shepard did not think much about the Ante-Maledictii/Old Timers, but he suspected that they knew more than they were willing to share.

When Tarasov did not say anything, Shepard decided to re-initiate the conversation.

"Why did you save me?"

The older human looked at him curiously, grinning in amusement.

"Why did you walk out into the Emission?" he asked, dodging Shepard's question, purposefully mocking him.

Shepard blinked at the question and said, "That's none of your business."

"Oh, I think it is, boy. You want to know what I think? I think you walked out into that Emission because of your vanity."

Shepard ignored the bait, and answered angrily, "Stop dodging the question. Why did you save me, and what are you doing here on Earth? Non-military personnel are forbidden on Terra by order of the Great Factions."

"The Great Factions?!" Tarasov laughed loudly. "Indeed. The self-proclaimed leaders of the human race, but I do not wish to talk about them Vladimir Shepard, _Hero of Humanity_. I want to talk about you. The mighty champion decided to walk into an emission because of his vanity and self-pity. Am I correct?

Shepard wanted to be respectful, but Tarasov was purposefully baiting him. "You know nothing about me," he said ominously.

"I know enough about you, Vladimir Shepard of the _Tribe_ ," Tarasov said with wry amusement. "I know your fears and dreams. I know your sacrifices and your sorrows." He came closer, and the aged face was no longer mocking him, but rather daring him. "I also know your future... if you are worthy to take it."

"I think you're insane... Look, just contact the nearest Tribe Bunker Node, and they will-"

To Shepard's surprise, Tarasov laughed at him. "Of course, I'm insane. Humanity became insane a long time ago, and our insanity is the Zone."

"I have no time for games" Shepard snarled at him. "I have to get back."

"Indeed! The Great Commander Shepard has little time. He must kill himself soon in order to fulfill his hero's destiny! Or perhaps because his first attempt failed, he would prefer drowning his honor in cheap whiskey or the pleasures of a _Looking Glass_ Anomaly, eh?"

"Stop mocking me!" Shepard snapped.

"You mock yourself, boy! Are you so filled with pride to think that you're the first human to lose hope? To imagine yourself as the tragic hero in some ancient play? I say to you, Shepard, you know nothing of what has happened here."

"I know that we failed." Shepard calmed down and brooded on his cot, angry that he couldn't get up and walk away from this madman. "Where's my exoskeleton?"

Tarasov shrugged. "I found you half-naked. Whatever was left of your armor was destroyed by the Emission."

"Are you sure?"

"Gospodi! Are your ears mutated? Your exo was already fucked before you did your little drama. You really think I would steal a busted up exoskeleton off of some _Tribe Zasranec_ with a martyr complex?"

"Okay! Enough about the Exoskeleton. You made your point."

Humans had mastered the art of weaponizing artifacts and anomalies since the earliest days of the Zone, and this mastery is made evident in their exoskeletons. The exoskeleton (now a misnomer, since modern variants no longer had any "skeletal" parts) was both armor and weapons platform. It is also the most popular and most common weapon in human society, replacing the projectile weapons which had been so widely used prior to the emergence of the Zone.

 _Modern_ exoskeletons were nothing like their ancient and primitive counterparts back in the earliest days of the Zone. Unlike the bulky, mechanical things of olden days, modern exoskeletons looked like suits made of black mercury partly encased by plates of made out of glowing crystals.

The greatest feature of this weapon, however, is not its armor, but its _artifact amipliers,_ special devices designed to increase, focus or direct the energies of most types of artifacts, turning their otherwise subtle properties into powerful weapons.

A standard exoskeleton can have up to 12 artifact amplifiers, each one capable of amplifying the effects of its own artifact. An exoskeleton with several Moonlight artifacts, for example, could turn its wearer into a gigantic psychic beacon, whereas an exoskeleton that features several Fireballs allows its wearer to become walking inferno.

Shepard's exoskeleton had 14 artifacts. He didn't particularly care about the armor. What he wanted were the artifacts, half of which were very rare.

"Shit!" Shepard hissed at the pain in knees as he tried to turn.

"Yes, _Peezdets_ indeed." Tarasov said as, he opened a bottle of Vodka and began pouring two bottles. He drained the first one and helped Shepard drink the other.

"If you're worried about your artifacts, all you need to do is say so. I recovered most of them." Tarasov pointed at a glowing sack to the right of his cot.

Shepard bent his head in that direction and was pleased that they were indeed there. Their sight made him feel a little less angry at his predicament.

"Thank You."

"You're welcome, and before you ask, no, I did not help myself to some of them as a reward."

"Huh? A guy who doesn't steal artifacts. Guess you're part of a dyin' breed," Shepard said, as Tarasov helped him drink another shot of Vodka.

"Humanity is a dying breed," Tarasov answered and then asked, "how's your leg?"

"Still feels like shit."

"Blyad. Well, don't worry too much 'bout it. Another hour or so with the _Firefly_ and you'll be doing backflips."

"Doubt it," Shepard said and then he looked at Tarasov insistently. You still haven't answered my question. Why did you save me?"

"Because the Zone told me to," Tarasov said smiling as he drained another shot.

"The Zone told you to save me?" Shepard asked mockingly.

"The Zone is more powerful than you think, and it knows more than most people suspect."

"I'm sick of the Zone."

"Aren't we all? But listen to me, Synok. You have a connection with the Zone – stronger than most in fact, and it wants you to live for a little while longer."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm the Chosen One, and my destiny is to suck fate's oversized and fungi-infested di-"

"This is not a joke!"

Shepard was going to say, _This whole galaxy is a joke_ but he thought better of it. "What do you want from me? I don't know you. I certainly don't trust you. And here you are expecting me to believe a complete stranger that the Zone sent him to save me."

Tarasov remained silent, and seeing Shepard's skepticism, he decided to try a different line of argument. "Tell me, Shepard, do you know how this will all end?"

"What are you talki-"

"Do you know how this will all end?" Tarasov snapped. This time, more insistent.

Shepard looked at him, a bit angry again and said, "We all die! The Zone corrupts us and we die. That's how I think it will end. And then the Reapers and the Monolith will return to fight over our corpse. That's how it will all end. Happy?"

Tarasov smiled at this and said, "A good observation, but also quite mistaken, and do you know why?"

Shepard just glared at him.

"It's because the Zone does not want it to end like this." Tarasov smiled, but it had none of its earlier sarcasm. Instead, it was warm and hopeful. "The Zone wants you to live Shepard. We are its champions."

"I fight for humanity," Shepard retorted.

"The Zone and Humanity are one Shepard."

Those words made Shepard suspicious. They were very similar to something he heard once, on some half-forgotten battlefield at the beginning of the Third War. "Scar told me something like that once."

Tarasov's smile disappeared. "Ahhh. Scar. How can we forget the most powerful leader of all Monolith forces? Yes, I know about Scar. He used to be a Stalker, did you know that? One of the best too until he got caught in an emission and it fried his head."

"It doesn't matter what he used to be. He's Monolith now," Shepard said, and he allowed Tarasov to figure out the implied accusation. _You sound like Monolith. Are you Monolith?_

Tarasov chuckled at the implied accusation. "If you wish to accuse me of something, I would prefer that you be upfront about it.

"Are you Monolith?" And Shepard knew that it was a stupid question even before he asked it.

Tarasov's eyes twinkled. "Do I look like Monolith to you? All hail the Monolith! All Hail the Wish Granter!" The older man laughed and laughed. "Nyet, Synok. I'm not one of those."

"You know a lot about the Zone."

"Most Stalkers do, boy," he responded.

Shepard's eyes grew. _Stalker._ That explained a lot of things.

"You were saying about the Zone?"

"The Zone does not want humanity to die," Tarasov answered smiling.

"No, it just wants to enslave us," Shepard retorted. "Turn us into monsters."

Tarasov shook his head, as if correcting him, "It wants to unite with us. It wants to make whole that which had been broken more than 46,000 years ago. But it does not know how to."

"None of what you're saying is making sense. I know that the Monolith serves the Zone and I know that Monolith wants to enslave humanity."

"The Monolith - or the Wish Granter - only grants wishes, Shepard. That is its purpose. The Zone created it to grant the Zone what it desires, but the Zone does not understand what it really wants. It -"

"All you just said confirms what everyone knows about the Monolith.."

"Let me finish!" Tarasov snapped. "You must understand that the Zone is not sapient the way a human is sapient. It is pure will and power. It desires unity with _us_ but it does not know how to do this!" Tarasov paused trying to figure out a way to explain this to Shepard.

"Imagine... Imagine a madman," Tarasov swallowed to clear his mind, "Imagine that he's looking at the mirror, but the image on the mirror is a monster, but the monster on the mirror... thinks that the madman is its image... and..." Tarasov took a swig from his vodka bottle. "and both of them are trying to figure out what is going on! Which of these is real, Shepard, eh? What is real, huh?" Tarasov paused to let his words sink in. "That is the relationship of the Zone with humanity, Shepard. Both are insane... and both are trying to figure out how to become sane again. Do you understand now?"

Shepard was going to say _this is all bull shit,_ but instead, an ironic smile came to his face. What Tarasov just said sounded like an extremely wise and profound joke, mainly because it hinted at some truth that is very difficult to articulate.

Likewise, a strange, smile crept on Tarasov's face as well, and then he began to laugh. And for some reason, Shepard laughed as well. And both men laughed madly in the darkness, for they both understood the joke. They were in on the joke, even if their minds didn't completely comprehend it. They laughed and laughed, and it seemed like the darkness of the cave and the terrors of the Zone laughed with them.

"None of this shit makes any sense to me," Shepard said as his laughter finally died down.

"It's the Zone," Tarasov answered sadly, "It is reality that has become insane."

When both had calmed down, Shepard decided to change the topic if only to give himself time to figure out this stranger, "What about the Reapers?"

"The Reapers..." Tarasov sighed, "The Reapers are dangerous, but not in the way you think."

"A race of billion year old starships is pretty dangerous to me..."

"The Reapers are merely a reflection of a more ancient power," Tarasov interrupted and Shepard looked at him with sudden suspicion.

"And what do you know about this ancient power?" Shepard asked.

Tarasov smiled, baring his yellow teeth, and then lowered his head to hide his eyes lest they betray his thoughts. "You know of the Leviathans?"

This surprised Shepard for he had encountered many rumors about high-ranking files that contained information about the supposedly billion year old alien species that created the Reapers.

"Yes," he said and then added, "and I know for a fact that they are just a myth."

"A fact, is it puppy?" Tarasov snorted. "And I suppose you know this based on your extensive experience on the subject."

"I've been on the field long enough to separate shit from fact when it comes to the Reapers."

Tarasov laughed at this. "The Reapers did not create themselves, Shepard. You know this. And even if your refuse to believe the existence of the Leviathans then you should at least believe that what created them is still out there."

"What does any of this have to do with killing Reapers?"

"Everything," Tarasov said and then his face darkened as if filled by some newfound wisdom."The Reapers have been killing and harvesting alien species for more than billion years. This – this is a pattern that was built into them. You know this. They exterminated thousands of alien species in the past..."

"Until they fought us," Shepard said, smiling.

"Until they fought the Zone," Tarasov corrected. "We are an accident, Shepard. Humanity is a cosmic accident, the freaks of the galaxy, and you can only understand the nature of this... accident by understanding the Zone."

"I don't like what you're implying."

"I'm not asking you to like it, Shepard. I'm asking you to know! To find the truth on your own!" Tarasov snarled out his words, and the old man suddenly looked slightly less human in the darkness.

Shepard shook his head. His dreams, and the words of this _Tarasov_ were connected somehow. He could feel it. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to find the answers you're looking for!" Tarasov snarled back. "You walked out into the Great Emission because you felt that this was the end, but I tell you that it is not! You are starved for hope, Shepard. We all are. All humanity needs hope after what we did to the _Network_ , and I tell you that there is hope, but it is only for those who possess a strong connection with the Zone."

"I have no fucking connection to the fucking Zone."

"Yes, you do. You dreamed about it. I know you did!"

"How did you know about that?!" Shepard snarled at him, suddenly terrified for Tarasov seemed in his mind, like a dark prophet from some long forgotten ancient city.

Tarasov bent closer to Shepard, and through gritted teeth he said, "Your answers are looking for you Shepard. The Zone is calling out to you. The only question is what are you going to do about it?"

Shepard stared at him, and for some strange reason, his dreams keep intruding into his mind. Every memory and premonition, included the whisper: _Come to Me. Come to Me. Come to Me._

"You can feel it, can't you?" Tarasov said smiling reassuringly and then he said cryptically. "Humanity is one with the Zone. Don't you see that. We are one. The Zone wants us to understand ourselves."

"The Zone wants to destroy us!" Shepard retorted.

Tarasov, however, shook his head at this. "The Zone is the reflection of humanity, and if the Zone is trying to destroy humanity, it's because humanity is trying to destroy the Zone."

"You're full of shit."

"I will let that go, Shepard," Tarasov said ominously, indicating that he did not wish to tolerate any insults to himself, "because I was once like you, and also because you don't understand. Do that again, and you will wish _you did not._ "

Shepard did not answer, but only glared at Tarasov, for he felt some truth in what he was saying. It had always been assumed by a large portion of humanity that the Zone was malevolent, but a small part of Shepard felt otherwise.

"I don't understand any of this shit," Shepard grumbled, for it seemed like his thoughts were no longer his own, and yet he could detect no psi-emanation from Tarasov or anything nearby. His feeling of dread was his own, born to fruition by his own dreams.

Finally, Shepard capitulated. "What do you want me to do?"

Tarasov did not smile nor did he show any sign of satisfaction. He only sat up straight, as if pronouncing some terrible doom upon the younger man. "Go to _Shahr-e Gholghola,_ the City of Screams. There you will _know._ There you will see how this will all end."

Shepard looked at Tarasov curiously. "Who are you exactly?"

Tarasov laughed. "Me? I'm just a Stalker, Commander. Just a Stalker." And he became serious again. "Once you find the truth, you will know the time and the path. It is coming Shepard, and for a time, we will have to return to the _Long Sleep._ We will need to rest and repair what could be repaired."

Tarasov drained the last of his Vodka. "We will also need to prepare for the return of our ancient enemies, and make no mistake, they will return stronger and more powerful than before."

Shepard was going to say something, but Tarasov cut him off. He smiled at him reassuringly, like a father to a confused son.

"Don't try to understand yet, Shepard. That comes later. For now, you will need conviction and strength." He took a bundle from the darkness and laid it close to Shepard's feet.

"A new exoskeleton for you, my friend," Tarasov said smiling. "You will need it."

Shepard looked at him in surprise at this gift. "Thank you, but I can get my own from one of the _Tribe's_ armories."

Tarasov smiled sadly and shook his head. "If you take this path Shepard then you will no longer be able to return to the _Tribe_. This path only leads in one direction, and you can either take it or you don't."

Shepard was going to ask, _what if I don't,_ but he knew that it was a meaningless question. Tarasov's words and his dreams were urging him onward.

"There is very little time," Tarasov explained cryptically. "You have very little time to make the choice. If you falter then you will pay for it.

Shepard wanted to ask a dozen questions, but again, Tarasov silenced him with his piercing blue eyes and harsh, weathered face."

"Find Strelok. Find the Catalyst. Find Degtyarev," he said cryptically, and it seemed to Shepard that he was given the pieces of a puzzle that he did not really understand. "So many things to find, eh? But don't worry, Shepard, you will find them all and you will understand the _final act_."

Tarasov paused, got up and took his homemade backpack that he left somewhere in the shadows, and turned to leave

"You're not just gonna leave me here, are you?" Shepard asked, for he now knew that Tarasov was not what he seemed. "I mean, I have so many questions for you."

"You'll be fine," Tarasov answered from darkness of the caves. "These caves are mostly uninhabited. Mostly. When you've regained your strength, you will be able to make your choice. You can either go back to the Tribe and continue to play the role of the martyr hero, and guarantee our extinction... Or... you can look for the answers at the City of Screams **."**

"Til then ," Tarasov's voice became a distant echo, "Good Hunting Stalker."

* * *

2 Years Later - Shahr-e Gholghola – The City of Screams

Under one of innumerable the dark, silent caverns of the City of Screams, a battle raged. Mutated demons of the Zone – creatures of claw, fang and poison – fought against a Being of light and power.

Dozens rat-like three legged monstrosities attacked the Light creature, and they were turned into ash by its power. Snake-like creatures with maws that resembled the shape of a living, moving mold attempted to ambush it with its tendrils, but these were too turned into ash.

The last of these monsters – a pseudogiant – ran at the Light creature to try and crush it with its brute strength. Instead, it flew through the opening of the tunnel covered in flames. Its broken form tumbled in the ancient dust, as the rest of its comrades died against their light-bearing opponent.

Shepard entered the dark hallways of the cavern, like a primordial angelic being. His body was covered by the amplified energies of the anomalies embedded in his exoskeleton. Despite all of the damage that it had sustained, the exoskeleton that Tarasov gave him was still fully operational, and focused the energies of three _Fireballs_ , two _Fireflies_ , two _Empties_ ¸ two _Sparklers_ and a _Compass_.

As he entered the ancient cavern, he realized that what Tarasov had said to him was true. The Zone's presence was strong in the City of Screams. He could feel it in every inch of his body.

The energies of his exoskeleton flooded the ancient cavern with its light, beating back the void-like darkness and Shepard felt as if he stood at the dawn of creation, when all was darkness and the secrets of life were still but a whisper.

 _You come..._ Came a feminine voice.

"Yes," Shepard answered firmly for the voice was familiar to him. "You called out to me in my dreams."

 _Yes..._

"Are you the Zone?" Shepard asked.

The presence did not respond.

"Are you the Noosphere?" he demanded.

 _I am many things. I was at the beginning when humanity was still in its infancy, and I will endure so long as humanity will endure._

"I don't understand..."

 _Come to me..._

Shepard hesitated, but he also desired answers, and as if in its own volition, his left foot took one step forward, and then its right foot responded with its own movement.

 _Come to meeeee..._

* * *

The City of Screams is a real place. Google it.

It played a critical role in the two Stalker novels: Norther Passage and Southern Comfort.

Major Mikhailo Tarasov is the main protagonist of these two novels.


	11. Chapter 11

I Dream of the First Aeons

The Age of the Great Leviathans

I Speak of the Dark Places

The 'Zon' of the Sto'kor Mages

I Sing of the Pitiless Demons

And Their Wars Against Forgotten Empires

I Remember The Third Dark Strife

When The Cycles of Ancient Slaughter Ceased

And The Tears of the Sto'kor Lords Wet Cursed Ground

\- "The Book of The Reaper"

* * *

 _The Book of The Reaper_ is arguably the most interesting and most enigmatic literary text of all the various Salarian "Sto'kor" myth cycles. Unlike the stories and legends about the great Sto'kor Sage Gan'ja, who not only taught ancient Salarians the philosophical school of Ma'arley, but also crop rotation and the meditative value of Hallucinogenic substances, The Book of The Reaper is a gloomy, brooding text that predicts the inevitable obliteration of all life.

It's hard to say exactly when this text was written, but most estimates put the original authorship at approximately 10,000 standard years ago. However, the real controversy of these texts is not in their authorship but in the nature of the text itself: It is a book of prophecies.

Galactic civilization is filled with all kinds of legends about past alien civilizations, but almost none of them offer any glimpses of the future. The only exception to these are the semi-religious texts of the Hanar about the Protheans, and our present topic: The Book of The Reaper. For those of you who only have rudimentary knowledge about this fascinating book, here's what you need to know.

The Book of The Reaper was interpreted and written down by an anonymous Salarian scribe in the city of Talat about 10,000 years ago, and who most likely used his creative license to distort the original information into something that resembled an ancient fantasy novel. According to the book itself, however, the real source of the information was a Sto'kor wanderer whose name or title - we are not sure yet which - can be roughly translated as _The Reaper_.

The Reaper claims that the "Zon," which we believe to be the name of the Sto'kor empire or some kind of magical technology, had recently been attacked by "the Ancient Demons" from "the ageless void." Despite the overwhelming power of these "demons," however, their wars with the Sto'kor ended in mutual destruction, for even though the Sto'kor empire had fallen, they were also able to crush all of their enemies, The "Ancient Demons," along with the so-called "Betrayers," and the enigmatic "Worshipers of the Granter of Wishes" by unleashing a powerful "Red Storm" that "blotted out the stars" thus, forcing them to retreat "beyond the confines of light."

Interesting information to be sure, but we are still trying to figure out what any of this information means.

In any case, after this terrible holocaust, the Sto'kor known as _The Reaper_ traveled all over the galaxy looking for secrets about the demons and other ancient mysteries, for he claims that their ancient enemies will return in the distant future once they have recovered from their losses, and that their _creators_ shall come with them in a final battle that will lead to the extinction of "all life forevermore."

Needless to say, due to the fantastic claims of these texts many of my colleagues are skeptical as to its authenticity. Indeed, the prevailing consensus at the moment, even among the pro-Sto'kor faction, is that the _Book_ is a hoax, a fictional testimony by a Salarian pretending to be one of the ancient Sto'kor. Logic and skepticism certainly seem to point to this conclusion, and to a certain extent, I agree. I will not disagree that much of the texts is too fantastic to be believed.

However, I and many of my colleagues also believe that we cannot dismiss these texts as just another fictional account. The book contains many bits of information that could not have been known to ancient Salarians. Moreover, there are references in the book about "other worlds and other races" and lists them by name: "Thessia," "Tuchanka," "Rannoch" and "Palaven." Now how could an ancient Salarian, who lived before the Age of Sail, have known about any of these planets?

Simple. He doesn't, which puts into question this assertion that the author of this book was a Salarian or at least exclusively a Salarian.

Furthermore, I must also point out that of many of the passages and anecdotes in the Book of the Reaper is corroborated by information from the Tuchankan codex. This could not be a coincidence, and I believe that _The Book of the Reaper_ offers more knowledge if only we could see through its mythical or symbolic nature.

\- Doctor Mura Sokun, Author's Notes On " _The Book of the Reaper: Prophecies of Fact or Fiction?"_ The Citadel Xenoarcheological Digest - 214, no. 13, 2180 (CE), 312

* * *

Scutum: Scutum to Dagger. Scutum to Dagger. Do you copy?

Dagger: This is Dagger. Send it.

Scutum: I was right. I just confirmed that the battlegroup sent to help us went silent 8 hours after they emerged from 314. It wasn't just my _hump_ after all. We are definitely in a lot of shit. Advice you exfiltrate and consolidate with my squad and all other groundside assets so we can figure out what's going on.

Dagger:...

Scutum: Dagger?... Dagger?

Dagger: I heard you, Scutum and the answer is Negative. There's too much at stake here for us to fall back now.

Scutum: Dammit. Listen to me. This planet is trying to kill my men. It is killing my men! I already lost five of my best to those _anomaly_ things, and two more to those spirits damned _emissions._ With our link to the fleet lost and no idea of what the black spirit's going on, I'd advice you to...

Dagger: Dammit, Nihlus! Get a hold of yourself. In the absence of fleet command, I'm in charge here, and I say we move forward as planned. Stay down and relax. We'll get through this. I promise.

Scutum: Dagger, operational protocol requires us to...

Dagger: I know what protocol says, and I'm overriding it for the good of the mission. Look, I know how difficult the situation is, but you need to listen to me. The technology on this planet could make the Hierarchy the most powerful force in the galaxy! Every scrap of technology here on this _Shakari_ planet is ours. Do you understand that? It's Ours!

Scutum: And my men are dying here, Saren! So don't tell me about what's at stake. I refuse to sacrifice my men if there's another way.

Dagger: There's no other way.

Scutum: Pyjak shit! There are plenty of other ways! The Hierarchy could convene the Palaven Pact and...

Dagger: (Laughter) Ahhhh yes, the Palaven Pact. How could I forget? Listen! The Palaven Pact is a non-aggression treaty, not an alliance! If the Citadel decides to bully the Hierarchy into sharing Shakari tech or blatantly steal them, which seems to be the case here..."

Scutum: You have no proof that Had'dah and his men are affiliated with any government.

Dagger:... Do you really think the Quarians and the Batarians will side with us? They'll probably help the Citadel steal what's rightfully ours!

Scutum: With all due respect sir, I...

Dagger: Enough! I'm in charge here now and I say we stay and move forward with the mission.

Scutum:...

Dagger: Do I make myself clear?

Scutum: **Sir** , **Yessss, Sir**... But I still want to put on record that I am opposed to your plan.

Dagger: Noted.

Scutum: And that grabbing Jade 12 under our present situation will lead to a lot of casualties, considering our _situation._

Dagger: Negative on Jade 12. I just found the real source of the conspiracy, a Salarian Dalatrass."

Scutum: A Dalatrass?! A Dalatrass is here? Are you sure? No, of course, you're sure. You're always sure. You think she's connected with the Citadel?

Dagger: If she is, it's going to cause a diplomatic uproar.

Scutum:... Fine, we'll do it your way. When do you want my men to move in?

(Noise of a scuffle and mass effect rounds being fired on the other line.)

Scutum: Dagger? Dagger... Saren!

Unidentified voice (presumably Krogan) on the other end: We got your friend, Turian. Come rescue him if you dare...

* * *

 _It's just a planet. What are you so worried about?_

Rael'Zorah had always considered himself a calm and disciplined professional, a man of logic and reason who stood defiantly against a superstitious galaxy, but right now, all he felt was dread. Even from the safety of his luxurious room inside of a heavily armed ship, the _Sa'kar_ planet down below, Shanxi it was called, exuded nothing but brooding fear. Oh sure, the planet looked normal enough, but there was just a certain _something_ about it that imposed itself on Rael'Zorah's mind. They were like dancing shadows which hid some lurking fear, or leering faces that should only exist in dark memories.

But it wasn't just the planet that was bothering him. It was _everything._ Rael felt like he and the ship he was in were being digested inside some malevolent creature, and the more he tried to drive away this feeling, the stronger they became.

 _It all started when they passed through Relay 314. Yes, it all began when we entered Sa'kar territory. This entire area of space... It's cursed!_

Rael paused to calm himself.

 _Stop it! You're making a damn fool of yourself._ But he couldn't stop looking at the planet through his window.

Rael's brooding thoughts, however, were soon interrupted by the unexpected arrival of an old Salarian female, the opening of the door was the only sign that betrayed her presence. For a moment, she just stood there in the portal, and then in a few deceptively youthful steps, she seated herself on a chair across the table where Rael'Zorah stood. Her demeanor was calm, and if Rael didn't know better, calculated to make him lower his guard.

Presently, they were inside a Salarian _Kutik_ class Yatch, _the Librarian_ , reputedly one of the best in the Union due to its stealth technology, and its state-of-the-art eezo core that would have been better off inside a cruiser than a private yacht.

But it wasn't just the yacht that was interesting. Rael's room, too, was furnished with everything an exiled Quarian could want. He had access to the best Rannochian wines, foods and suits, as well as the latest gadgets from the Citadel. His bed was also rich, his desk made from the finest Thessian _Yuktai_ wood and he had access to more than enough intel about the sector, Relay 314 and the Sa'kar planet _Shanxi_.

But such luxuries did nothing to drive away his fears.

When the _Librarian_ first arrived on Korlus in great secrecy, its arrival had sent a tremor of dreadful fear through Rael'Zorah, who had expected Batarians or even Terminus mercenaries to come pick him up from Korlus. Instead, he got a cutting edge high powered private Yatch with stealth generators,crewed by Salarians, who if Rael didn't know better, were either STG or ex-STG.

This had been the first sign that something was wrong, but the Quarian, who was certainly no stranger to clandestine and illegal operations, dismissed such fears as anxiety over his family; and the ruthless scientist in him urged him to push on.

The second sign that something was wrong was Rael's very fast journey from Korlus to Shanxi. It had taken place over the course of 3 to 4 standard days, and he got the impression that Had'dah – his not-so-secret client – was on a very tight schedule. Rael had worked for various clients in the course of his exile from Rannoch, and he knew from personal experience that it was always a bad sign when everybody's in a hurry.

It usually means that somewhere someone fucked up.

The last hint that something was wrong was the arrival itself and he was given direct video feeds from the planet where the _job_ was to take place. Rael expected some ancient half-forgotten Shipyards and ruins filled with arcane _Sa'kar_ technology. Instead, Shanxi looked like an extremely gloomy and unusual paradise world. Sure, there were numerous ships and ruins on the planet's surface, but nothing breathtaking or stupendous. Just gloom and dread. Now that he thought of it, the entire system seemed gloomy, and more than a little... menacing?

Rael suddenly became nervous as he tried to focus on his visitor. There was no mistaking the nature of the Salarian female. It was in the way she moved, the way she looked at him piercingly. _She's a Dalatrass._ What was a Dalatrass doing on a ship headed to an unexplored Sakar planet?

Rael had caught glimpses of her throughout his stay on the ship, but nothing definitive. He dismissed her as just another crew member, but now that she was here, he was sure that there was more to her than she appeared. She was small thing, smaller than most Salarians, but her face was more expressive, and her horns curled charmingly in a way that made her seem younger than she actually was.

"Are you well rested?" She asked with sudden brusqueness.

"Yes, thank you, but I would prefer to-"

"Good. We will descend onto the planet once everyone's ready." Rael was going to make a protest, but the Salarian continued without missing a beat. "My men have prepared all of the equipment you'll need – the very best, I assure you."

"Thank you, but I still have a few ques-"

"We have about an extra hour until then, so I thought we should spend it productively by discussing a few details about the mission." The Salarian said as she smiled at him, "you may call me _Madam_."

 _Madam_. A nice way of saying, _you are not to know anything about me, understood?_

Rael's room was small, but it was luxurious. For someone who spent the last ten years in poverty and exile, it was a very big improvement to what he was used to, but despite all of the splendor, he wished he was somewhere else, and the creeping feeling of dread gave him second thoughts about this _job_. The planet below, the gloom of this sector and now, the presence of this Salarian Dalatrass all made his skin crawl even under the protective layer of his suit.

"Hello... um, Madam," Rael said, but he kept the nervousness out of his voice, "You are an associate of Mr. Had'dah?"

The Salarian looked at him with a sarcastic smile that only Salarians seem capable of doing. It was one part amusement and one part annoyance. "What do you think?" she asked in a sarcastic voice.

"Ah, right. Stupid question." Rael admitted as he sat down. "Well, then... How may I... uh... help you?"

"That's what I want to hear," The Salarian female said, and then she added, "Forgive me if I seem a little candid, Mr. Zorah, but we are on a very tight schedule, my _associates_ and I."

Rael suddenly sat up straight, expecting a few other strange Salarians to come into the room, but none came.

If the Dalatrass noticed this, she did not remark on it, and instead kept on talking. "I will not lie to you, Rael'Zorah. Our mission is dangerous, but I assure you that the pay will be more than worth your while. Very worth your while. Here's the situation on the planet that we're... _excavating_ ," Madam said the word with a little wry smile, "The original plan was to acquire a series of encryption algorithms from several storage devices hidden beneath a _Stalker_ vault. We were to take the algorithms, along with whatever other items Had'dah and his men could carry and slip out of 314 as quickly as possible." She paused and frowned. "Unfortunately, certain _delays_ have rendered that plan unfeasible."

The Salarian did not tell Rael that Had'dah's greed was the source of the delays. Instead of heading straight into the vault – his main objective – he and his men spent most of their time treasure hunting, grabbing "ancient _Satakar_ relics" which they planned to sell on the Terminus Black Market.

Even now, the Dalatrass was still furious at Had'dah, but on the other hand, she was also furious at herself. Edan Had'dah was her puppet, and she failed to control him.

 _When this is all over, I will make that piss drinking slaver scum pay_! She thought with well-repressed fury.

"You must understand that I..." she continued, "We, Mr. Had'dah and I never intended for you to come to the _Stalker_ planet. The original plan was to show you some of the devices and you will extract the necessary encryption algorithms at a secure location."

 _Stalker. That's a strange pronunciation._ Rael thought with some curiousity. _I thought Salarians called them Sto'kor._

"Is it too much to know why the plan changed?"

"It's on a need to know basis, Rael'Zorah, and you don't need to know."

"I see," Rael said and lapsed into silent thinking.

"Had'dah has spoken very highly of you, _despite your notoriety,"_ The Dalatrass said slyly.

"My _notoriety_?"

"You made quite a reputation for yourself during the Quarian civil War," the Dalatrass said, smiling. "Hmmmm. Tinkering with Geth technology. Very naughty."

"I don't want to talk about the past!" Rael'Zorah snapped back at her in a tone that surprised even him.

To his surprise, he found the the Dalatrass' face became apologetic, as if regretting her recent words. He had expected her to make some snide remark about him. "I'm... sorry. I didn't mean it that way." She said.

"I don't want to talk about the past," Rael repeated calmly.

"As you wish, but know this Rael'Zorah. We know much about you _and your family_."

The hidden threat was not lost on Rael.

" _Leave them out of this_ ," Rael hissed timidly.

"Did you tell them anything about this mission?"

"Not much."

"Define ' _Not much.'"_

"They don't know anything," Rael lied.

The Salarian woman did not reply for a few seconds, but her eyes stared at him accusingly, and then she spoke in a calm but ominous tone. "You do know what will happen to you and _to them_ if you tell anyone about this _job_ , right?"

Rael nodded, and the Salarian female suddenly amiable, as if the earlier tension had never happened. "Good, now you may ask a few questions."

Slowly and hesitantly, Rael asked, ""What else do I need to know about these encryption algorithms that I'm supposed to retrieve?"

 _Madam_ then typed a few commands on her Omni-Tool. "I've uploaded additional mission details into your Omnitool. That should give you some idea of what to look for. If you need additional information, it will be given to you by one of my men, so please speak with the captain if you need anything.. Don't worry. You will only be given the best tools for the job, as well as _the best compensation."_

Rael looked at the information sent to him and frowned. "This is... This can't be real," he said with some astonishment.

"Oh, it's real, and you will have a very small window of opportunity to grab what we need. Rest assured that I and..." a frown creased her face, "Mr. Had'dah have taken every precaution to ensure your safety. We will get you back home... I promise. Anything else?"

"Yes. Um," Rael paused as he looked up from his Omnitool, "I am worried about the Turian patrols," he said, allowing some of his fears to emerge, "314 is under the Hierarchy's sphere of influence."

"Ahhh... I see. Well, Had'dah has many friends in the Turian Navy, many of whom have a habit of taking bribes," the Dalatrass said with some amusement, and before Rael could respond, she added: "And this is not Turian territory. This entire area of space belongs to the _Stalkers_."

"Well, they're all dead, aren't they? Like the Protheans, I mean?"

The Dalatrass merely smiled at him, and quickly changed the subject. "If we move quickly, we won't have to worry about anything. We move in, grab what we need and we get out."

"But I heard from your crew that a Turian fleet just emerged from 314," Rael protested.

"Ah, so you've heard about that," The Dalatrass was rather annoyed that Rael was the snooping type, but then again, it was part of what makes a good technician. So she decided to tell him a portion of the truth. "Don't worry about them, Rael. That fleet won't bother us."

"And how can you be so sure?"

"I have friends..."

"Friends who give out bribes or friends who recieve them?" asked Rael.

"Friends who are capable of destroying a Turian fleet in a matter of seconds," the Dalatrass said ominously.

"Mercenaries?"

"No," she said in a tone that made it clear to Rael that she was weary of talking about the Turians. "Do you have any other questions?"

Rael thought briefly about what to ask and suddenly something came to his mind. "Well, I suppose I want to talk about the Sa'kar?"

"The Stalkers?"

"Yes, the _Stalkers._ "

"Hmmm. Well, what do you want to know in particular?"

For a moment, Rael was speechless. He never really knew much about Sa'kar legends. As a boy, they had always been fairy tales to him, but ever since they had been proven to be real, it was hard to make sense of them. Rael knew much about the Protheans, but the Sa'kar? Not much really.

"I don't know. I mean, I always knew that they were ancient aliens, but I never really thought of them as anything other than magical tales for little children. I suppose I want to know they disappeared? Or maybe what kind of people they were. Maybe that would give me some clue on what to work once we're down there."

"Ah... Well, Rael'Zorah. We will need several weeks to properly discuss that matter, but I believe I can give you a Book to help you if you are interested."

"A book? Really?"

"A document file actually." She fiddled on her Omni-Tool briefly. "I just a sent it to you. The third and fourth chapter should provide you with the information you need, though I'm afraid it can't give you the technical details you are looking for."

" _The Book of the Reaper_?"

"Never heard of it before?"

"No," Rael answered, and after scanning some of the texts, added, "Weird."

"Ominous would be a more apt description. That Book took several Salarian lifetimes to translate, but its message is incredible. Not even the _Ancient Sayings of Ganja_ could compare to it."

"I know about the story of Ganja!" Rael said happily, eager to show his knowledge of Salarian "Sto'kor" folklore.

"Ah! But Wise Ganja – All Knowing Ganja – came to Surkesh at an earlier age, a much earlier age. _The Reaper_ came much much later, about several thousands of years later, and the records of his works is known only to the most dedicated Xenoarcheologists."

"Like Dr. Mura Sokun?" Rael asked slyly.

The smile disappeared from the Dalatrass' face and it became ominous again. "What do you know about him?"

"I know that he was a leading expert on Stokor myths and legends," Rael said, while continuing to scan the texts, "I also know that his abduction about few weeks ago couldn't have been a coincidence."

"And you believe that he was taken by one of Edan Had'dah's men?"

Rael paused from his reading to look at the Dalatrass; the sound of his voice was calm and unassuming. "I didn't say anything about Mr. Had'dah."

She smiled ambiguously, but said nothing. There was no need for words. Rael couldn't quite figure it out but he suddenly felt in peril, and it occurred to him that he had accidentally made himself look more dangerous to his Salarian client. She looked at him with searching eyes, and Rael was thankful that he was in a suit because it hid the fear on his face.

"Is there something else here I need to know?" Rael asked boldly, trying to prove to himself and to her that he was not afraid. "About Dr. Sokun and Mr. Had'dah?"

"You know better than to ask that," the Salarian answered ominously.

"It's worth asking, nevertheless."

When the Dalatrass said nothing, Rael wanted to say that he had no more questions, and that she can leave, but somehow, he felt that the Salarian woman had something else to add, so he kept quiet. To distract himself, he put his Omnitool closer to his face, pretending to check on something important, and he waited for the Dalatrass to share something more or leave.

For a few minutes, the Salarian sat patiently, and then with very deliberate movements, she got up and stood to face the window on Rael's room. Silently, almost sadly, she looked out towards the planet known as Shanxi.

Then suddenly, she said: "I searched for them all my life, but instead..."

The pause was sudden, as if her self-control told her to be quiet before she carelessly reveals her secret. "Instead, all I found was failure... until now."

Behind his helmet, Rael was sure that the Salarian woman was going to say something else, something more dangerous and damning, but he knew better than to ask. Once again, he wondered if it was a good thing that he took up this mission, and like before, he reminded himself of the number of digits that would be paid to him once this is all over.

 _Now is not the time for second thoughts!_

"Are you afraid of the _Sa'kar_ Rael'Zorah?" the Dalatrass asked suddenly, and it caught Rael off guard.

"What?" Rael almost yelled, "No, Why would I be?"

She then turned away smiling from the window and looked at him. She then recited the first passage of the Book of the Reaper, in a lilting but sorrowful voice:

I Dream of the First Aeons

The Age of the Great Leviathans

I Speak of the Dark Places

The 'Zon' of the Sto'kor Mages

I Sing of the Pitiless Demons

And Their Wars Against Forgotten Empires

I Remember The Third Dark Strife

When The Cycles of Ancient Slaughter Ceased

And The Tears of the Sto'kor Lords Wet Cursed Ground

Rael was speechless, so she explained to him that this was the first part of the Book of the Reaper, and very briefly he gave him a summary of the history of humanity (though she referred to them as Stoko/Sa'kar) and in particular the Third Long Dark War (though she called it the Third Dark Strife); and of how humanity fought the Reapers (the Ancient Demons). She told him about the Great Betrayal (The Protheans) and of the Fall (The Great Emission). She told him about the Zone and its powers. And most ominously of all, she told him about the darkness beyond the galaxy as well as the secret things buried inside forgotten planets which lurk and watch an unsuspecting galaxy.

In all of this, she used the words of fairy tales. She spoke of legends and magics, not science and technology; _Sto'kors_ , not humans. And when she was finished, the Dalatrass smiled at Rael'Zorah, like a patient mother.

"My daughter would love you. She loves stories about the Sa'kar," Rael remarked, and a smile appeared on his face at the memory of his daughter, Tali.

"And you don't?"

Rael shook his head. "And all of this is written on the book?"

"Yes," the Dalatrass answered, and how does any of this help our mission?"

The Dalatrass smiled warmly at him. "You'll see."

"You can be quite cryptic."

"I like being cryptic.

"Well, okay, but what about the Sa'kar?" Rael asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what happened to them? They defeated the demons and their enemies, but you said, or at least, the Book of the Reaper claims that the demons will return to destroy all life in the galaxy. I suppose what I'm asking is, won't the Sa'kar... sorry, I mean Stalkers, come back and fight the demons when they return?" Rael felt a little silly with those questions, because it was as if he suddenly became a young boy who was completely enraptured by a fairy tale.

"I thought you said this is just a myth?"

"Well... I do," Rael said in the same nervous tone, "but I'd like stories to end in happy endings."

"The story hasn't ended yet, and we are about to become part of it." With that she smiled happily at him, and quickly made her way to the door. The words, though, filled Rael with terror that he could not quite understand, and it seemed to him that the Salarian woman was more than what she seemed.

"Be ready in the next five to six hours," she said as a parting shot."The Zone can be quite pitiless."


	12. Chapter 12

All criticisms and critique trolling are welcome.

* * *

The Great Demons Will Return! They Shall Lay Waste to the Suns and the Stars

They Shall Devour Flesh and Blood

They Shall Silence Song and Soul

Their Spells Will Drive Your Children Mad

And When All Has Come to Pass, All Shall Suffer And Die

Oh, Woe! Woe! To The Children of Sur'kesh!

Woe! Woe! Woe! To All Life Great And Small

Weep All of You! Weep! For The Demons Will Return And None Shall Be Spared

They Shall Harvest All Life And They Will Sate Their Hunger With Our Children's Blood

And When All is Ash, They Shall Drag Us All Into The Darkest Abyss

So said _The Reaper_

 _\- The Book of The Reaper_

* * *

 ** _Encrypted voice transmission between the Citadel and The KVS Nor', 2182 – En Route to Shanxi._**

 _#Hello Wrex. #_

 _#Councillor. Whatever happened to operational security?#_

 _#It's still in place. The encryption we're using is rock solid.#_

 _#I get nervous when people use 'rock solid' and 'security'_ _ _in the same sentence._ #_

 _#No banter Wrex. We don't have much time. I just got back from the other Councillors. You were right. All the evidence about the Dalatrass checks out.#_

 _#Damn. That is bad news.#_

 _#It is. She had been playing every last one of us for fools.#_

 _#Any word from STG?_ _#_

 _ _#_ They're still trying to figure out her connections. #_

 _#What about the Turians?#_

 _#I'm still trying to get in touch with Ambassador Sparatus, but don't expect any support from the Hierarchy. They think that that entire area of the galaxy belongs to them.#_

 _#I won't. So what am I supposed to do now?#_

 _#Proceed as planned. I wish I could send some support, but... #_

 _#Politics... I know. Don't worry. I have enough people with me, and Had'dah's ship is no match for the Nor.#_

 _#Do this quietly Wrex. You need to take Xunyon alive.#_

 _#_ _What about Had'dah, Sokun and T'soni?#_

 _#Had'dah is expendable. Kill him. You can try to rescue the xenoarcheologists if you can, but your primary objective is the Dalatrass.#_

 _#And the Turians? #_

 _#What about the Turians? #_

 _#They've secretly deployed a small fleet to Shanxi, probably to apprehend Had'dah and his men.#_

 _#(Brief pause). When was this!?#_

 _#Several standard days ago. They may even have forward elements on the planet now, but I can't say for sure. I tried to track the fleet, but I lost them several hours after they left 314.#_

 _#Damn It... Damn It! Damn It! Damn It! Spectre, I don't need to tell you that this situation could lead to galactic war. You and your men need to grab Xunyon before the Turians can get to her. No matter what it takes. Do you understand me?#_

 _#Perfectly Councillor#_

 _#How about you? How long before you reach the Stokar planet?_ _#_

 _#With our stealth engines on full, probably in the next few hours._ _#_

 _#Good. Go in fast and take care of everything. And Wrex, if you find out whatever it is Xunyon is after on that damn planet... I trust that you will handle it 'discreetly.' Do I make myself clear?#_

 _#Yes, Councillor.#_

 _#Councillor? #_

 _#Yes... Father. #_

 _#Good. Don't disappoint me, Wrex. Councillor Jarrod Out. #_

* * *

When Dalatrass Xunyon and her entourage arrived on Shanxi, what greeted them could only be described as an organizational and logistical mess.

Edan Had'dah's new camp was about one klick away south from the ancient _Satakar_ spaceport, which had been the original digsite. They were now camped on a small hill that was relatively safe from the chaos and terrors around them.

Had'dah had been forced to evacuate his original position when some kind of unknown energy field spread around that area. a phenomenon which caused his men to suffer mass hallucinations as well as extreme psychosis. Messages from outlying outposts also confirm that similar energy fields had formed around their areas of operations as well, and as if that weren't enough, reports of equipment malfunction had increased exponentially over the past few days prior to Xunyon's arrival.

To make matters worse, the number of _anomaly_ fields had also increased exponentially in their immediate area, particularly around the original digsite. These anomalies were far more dangerous than anything previously seen. Lakes of toxic-magma erupted from the ground to south. Clouds of flesh eating pollen-like substances swirl around the nearby hills to the east. To the far west, there were several reports of stones that emitted some unknown radiation that caused lethal mutations. And to the north, the recently abandoned spaceport was being protected by hundreds of miniature gravitational anomalies, in addition to the strange _psychic_ energy field that covered it.

The rate of _emissions_ had also increased exponentially. Where Shanxi's surface had once been relatively peaceful, it had turned into malevolent hellscape in a matter of days after the entity which called itself _Duk'tur_ gave his ultimatum. According to orbital scans of the planet's surface, Shanxi now looked like something out of an Asari horror-sci-fi story. Thousands of emissions covered Shanxi's surface like large bodies of clouds.

It was literally a demon world.

The song-screams of the emissions consistently battered against Had'dah's prefab bunkers every three hours or so whenever they passed by. Morale was low and most of Had'dah's men were on the brink of mutiny. Even Hailut Vog's merc Krogans were beginning to become a little afraid.

Needless to say, salvage operations had to stop, and Had'dah ordered most of his men to _temporarily_ retreat back to his ship, the _Opportunity Cost,_ until the situation could be stabilized planet side. Only a small token force was left on the planet's surface to guard their recently transferred HQ/Bunker and to secure the drop zone.

There was no doubt as to what caused these phenomenon. _Duk'tur, t_ he ancient Satakar, or the creature that claimed to be a Satakar, had warned them to leave, and Had'dah refused. Now, they witnessed _their_ power, and they had no doubt that worse things were to come if they refused to leave.

Even now, those members of the expedition who remained on the planet could feel the eyes of Shanxi leering at them, urging them to leave, even as monstrous howls could be heard in the distance.

 _Leave,_ the voices seemed whisper to their minds, _leave before the Zone devours you._

But Had'dah couldn't leave quite just yet, and because he cannot leave then neither can his men. No matter how much he wanted to, no matter how much he desired to, his work was not yet finished. For although he wouldn't admit it to himself, he knew that he was not the master of his own fate. That belonged to a certain Dalatrass, a Dalatrass who would stop at nothing to find what she's looking for.

* * *

The shuttle from _The Librarian_ touched down next to Had'dah's current basecamp/drop zone with all the elegance of a ghost's shadow. It was Salarian made after all, and they had a reputation to consider.

All of the shuttle's occupants emerged from the craft silently and solemnly, as if to join a somber burial. Xunyon and her bodyguards knew what to expect from the Zone, and though the reality of it all exceeded their expectations, they were able to conceal their excitement, and their fears, quite well.

Only Rael'Zorah, the Quarian who prided himself in being able to think logically, was visibly shaken when he emerged from the shuttle, and although he had seen images of the planet before, he now stood about gaping at the anomalies that covered the surrounding hills and forests. The Zone made him felt frail and fragile, and he became more aware of his breathing and the pounding of his pulse, as the subtle terrors of the planet imposed themselves on his senses.

High above, the clouds were grey and gentle rain drops added to the milieu of melancholy which seemed to pervade everything on Shanxi or indeed the entire star system. Howls and screams could be heard from the darker places of the landscape and the entire entourage could feel their own shadows plotting against them, hiding some strange secret that they could not quite understand.

Despite these subtle horrors, Dalatrass Xunyon was pleased to be here, and the first thing she did after she disembarked from the shuttle was to touch Shanxi's soil as if it were holy ground. _She was finally here. She had arrived in the Zone._ Next to her, Rael fidgeted uneasily as he looked about the terrifying hellscape Both were surrounded by heavily armed Salarians wearing the best military technology the Citadel had to offer and more, armed with the best weapons credits can buy.

As she finished her silent ruminations, Xunyon saw Had'dah's welcoming party, Hailut Vog and his mercenary Krogans, along with some of Had'dah's own personal thugs. They motioned her and her party to follow them back to Had'dah's personal quarters inside the bunker, hastily built right next to the drop zone after the retreat from the first digsite.

As they walked along, Xunyon and her bodyguards noticed various disturbing signs throughout Had'dah's camp. Malfunctioning equipment – damaged by the hostile environment of Zone – were littered all around the camp. Moreover, many of the laborers and mercs who remained on the planet were either sick, partly sick or in a state of mental and emotional distress. One Vorcha mercenary was even gibbering, clutching a piece of rock desperately, while a Batarian laborer was walking around in circles, laughing to himself. Off to one side, in an enclosed area, a group of seemingly sleepwalking Batarians were staring absently at their Turian mercenary guard, while he kept a close eye on them. As they turned a corner, they saw a huddled Batarian mercenary mumbling to himself. "It's quiet. Why won't the quiet stop? Please make the quiet stop," the Batarian merc kept moaning over and over again.

They also saw the tense way the other mercs - the ones who were not sick or insane - held their weapons and the scratch marks on their armors. In the distant hills, the howls of terrible creatures grew louder, while the wind itself seemed to sing a song of doom to them.

There was no doubt that all of Had'dah's men desired to leave Shanxi. It was hard not to see the signs: A twitching eye here, shaky hands there and that far away look most species have at being out on the battlefield for too long.

Xunyon knew that Had'dah's men were beginning to crack. Even the crew of his personal cruiser, the Opportunity Cost, were beginning to complain, if rumors from her spies there could be believed. Only Vog and Had'dah's own brutality kept such rumblings in check, but Xunyon knew that time was of the essence.

And she will not waste it.

As they entered Had'dah's prefab bunker, things became calmer. The equipment here were still functional, and the personnel were more disciplined; but even so, the Zone's influence would not go away. Despite the relative safety of the structure, the confined spaces of the bunker made Xunyon and her men feel like the walls of the galaxy were closing in on them, squeezing them with shadows that seemed to make hushed noises.

Finally, they arrived at Edan Had'dah's quarters, where the Batarian was eagerly waiting for them. It was a small room, but well-furnished, with images of maps and charts projected on the walls. Various weapons and equipment were neatly arranged around the nearby cabinets, and at the center of the room, were several comfortable chairs as well as some quality food and drinks... for Xunyon and her men.

The calmness of this place defied the relative chaos outside.

Though looking calm and composed, the Batarian smuggler looked tired and perhaps more than a little crazy. Two of his four eyes kept twitching every few minutes or so, while he exerted a lot of effort trying to keep his hands from shaking. His mercenaries didn't look much better either. They looked like they've been through hell, and were still struggling to get out.

Xunyon signaled for Rael'Zorah and for her chief bodyguard - an old but battle scarred Salarian of indeterminate age - to enter with her, while the rest are to wait at the doorway. Had'dah did likewise, dismissing all of his mercs from the room except for Hailut Vog.

"Edan," Xunyon greeted as she sat down on one of the chairs..

"Dalatrass," Had'dah, who was already seated, returned the courtesy. "Dr. Sokun wanted to meet with you when he heard that you were coming. I denied his request until you say otherwise. Is that alright with you?"

Xunyon's face darkened at the mention of Sokun, but she nodded amiably, pleased that Had'dah had given her the time to compose herself. "Yes, thank you for that."

Both exchanged pleasantries as a way to examine the other and to figure out their thoughts. They discussed news in the Citadel, the Terminus as well as some of the latest rumors, but nothing serious nor related to their present _predicament._

Then abruptly, Xunyon broke off the small talk. "Did you capture the Turian agent?"

Edan was caught off guard, but no surprise appeared on his face. It was Xunyon who tipped him off about the Turian Intelligence agent who had been hiding among his mercs. Where she got that information, he didn't know, but it angered him that she knew more than he did.

"Yes. I also learned that his name is Sa..."

"I already know about that," she said dismissively. "I know all there is to know about Agent Arterius. So please, kindly bring him in."

Had'dah bristled at Xunyon's tone and he signaled at Vog, who told one of the Krogans waiting outside to fetch the prisoner.

"Now, while we're waiting," Xunyon began, "I thought perhaps we should discuss your present situation."

"What is there to discuss?" Had'dah replied. "We can't get back to the digsite. My engineers don't know what to make of it. Obviously, it's some kind of automated defense system, but we just couldn't figure out what it is or how it could be disa..."

"Automated defense system?" Xunyon said interrupting. "You think that the energy field you describe is _automated_?"

Had'dah leaned closer and his face looked angry, though his eyes kept twitching. "If you want to say something... Say it out loud."

Xunyon narrowed her eyes slightly but she kept a calm smile on her face. "None of what is going on out there is _automated._ One of **_them_** appeared to you, Edan. Don't delude yourself into thinking that they're extinct. You know as well as I do that they're still here."

"I am not delusional! I know what I saw," Edan snapped. "The _thing_ that claimed to be a Satakar was a ball of light. For all we know, that could just have been a malfunctioning V.I. system!"

Xunyon paused for a moment before noticing that Edan Had'dah's denial was fueled by terror. The smuggler was trying to convince himself that the 'Satakar' was extinct, that all of the evils that had befallen his expedition was being caused by some planetary automated defense system, and the _Poltergeist_ creature who came to him, claiming to be an ancient Satakar, was just a malfunctioning V.I.

 _Yes, that it!_ _After all, if they're so powerful then why haven't they appeared in the flesh,_ he might be thinking.

"You saw them with your own eyes!" she snapped with eyes flaring. Behind her, Rael'Zorah was going to ask a question, intrigued by all this talk about VI's, but Xunyon's Salarian bodyguard, noticing his eager body language, quickly stood in front him, glaring at him. _You don't want to get involved in this,_ his face seemed to say, and so Rael's question died in his mouth.

"What I saw was an automated VI that claimed to channel the spirit of some entity known as _Duk'tur!"_ Had'dah protested, but his voice was a little too loud, as if fearing that he was wrong.

Xunyon just smiled at him, letting Had'dah figure out what she's obviously thinking.

Despite herself, Had'dah's fear gave Xunyon some feeling pleasure. It was fitting, she thought, that Had'dah should be afraid. Behind her, Rael'Zorah and her chief bodyguard betrayed their anxiety with only the slightest movements, while Hailut Vog, who stood quietly behind Had'dah, remained stoically silent, the perfect merc.

Had'dah, however, misinterpreted Xunyon's silence for contempt. "You have no idea what it was like for me and my men!" He said. "There was nothing on radar, ladar, infrared or any radio frequencies when that energy field went up around the original dig site..." He choked back the outburst. "It's like it doesn't even exist, but it did, and my men had no chance. So don't you dare sit there with that damn self-righteous face of yours."

"It's a _Brain Scorcher,_ " Xunyon said calmly.

"A what?"

Xunyon looked at him firmly and contemptuously. " _They_ activated the local node's Brain Scorcher. _They're_ trying to get you - us to leave." She suddenly thought of something, frowned and then added as if for her own benefit, "They want us to leave peacefully. That's why _they_ haven't attacked your camp... at least not yet. It could be... Maybe they're afraid that attacking us directly will provoke the Zone."

"What are you talking about?" Edan looked confused at first, unsure as to how to respond to his Salarian partner's revelations. "And what is this about a _Brain Scorcher?_ why didn't you tell me that _they_ have such a weapon?"

Again, she looked looked at the Batarian scornfully, as if he had said something extremely childish.

"There was no need to tell you," she said calmly. "It wouldn't have mattered if you had done as you had been told: Dig through the vault, take what we needed and get out. If you had done everything quickly, the Stalkers would not have had the time to detect your presence. "Xunyon paused to calm herself. "But that's not what you did, right?" The Batarian's eyes flared in indignation. "No, you wasted most of your time treasure hunting for trinkets and junk."

Before Had'dah could make his retort, there came a ring from the room's door. Both Xunyon and Had'dah paused, as Xunyon's bodyguard went to inquire, his left hand firm on his holster.

"Yes, I'll tell her," the bodyguard replied to the person on the other side.

"What is it?" Had'dah demanded.

"It's the Turian."

"Good," Xunyon said amiably. "Bring him in."

"Ahhhh, Mr. _Tullus Corrion_ ," Xunyon greeted Saren amiably as he was dragged in by two Krogans, and her expression turned into mild amusement, "Or should I say Agent Saren Arterius."

Saren walked into the room shackled, and bleeding from multiple cuts. His left eye was swollen, and he struggled to keep standing as he entered the room. Despite his injuries, though, he remained defiantly quiet and did his best to defiantly glare at the Salarian.

"Where are your friends?" Xunyon asked.

Saren still remained quiet, and his defiance earned him the butt of a rifle from one of the two Krogans who accompanied him inside.

"Come now. Let's not play this game. I know about your reconnaissance team as well as the fleet sent here to apprehend my _esteemed colleague_ ," Xunyon said, looking briefly at Had'dah. "I assure you that your battle group will not arrive. _My friends_ have already dispatched them. That only leaves you and your men, and they won't last long out there in the Zone. Believe me. So why don't you be a good little soldier and tell us where they are."

Saren spat defiantly at Xunyon's feet and remained quiet

"Answer the Dalatrass, _Turdian_!" A second butt of a rifle was provided to motivate Saren.

Despite the pain in the back of his head, Saren still managed to look at the face of the one who hit him, glaring at him briefly, promising unspoken vengeance. _Citadel Scum!_ He thought, even as the Krogan mercs laughed at him, and then turned back to face the Salarian Dalatrass.

"They're close!" Saren hissed through the pain. "Thousands of them! We have an entire army on this planet and several more fleets are on their way. This planet will be ours!"

Xunyon smiled at him, as if he were a boasting child. "No. This planet is _theirs._ "

Saren's defiant expression ceased when Xunyon said, _theirs_. He could feel something ominous about her words, but even so he gritted his teeth and stayed quiet.

"As you wish, agent Arterius," she said. "You have no idea what the Zone is capable of."

"You don't know what I am capable of," Saren snarled.

Seeing that Saren would not reveal the location of the Turian recon forces on Shanxi, she ordered him to be taken away. "Remove him. His friends will come to us soon enough." She turned to face Hailut Vog. "Mr. Vog, I trust that you will be able to handle them?"

Had'dah's chief Krogan mercenary smiled. "It will be my pleasure," he answered.

"Good. Take him away, but don't hurt him. He may be of use to us later."

"You're going to let him live?" Had'dah asked incredulously.

"He is not a threat," Xunyon said and signaled to the Krogans to remove Saren and themselves, so that she and Had'dah could continue to have a private conversation.

"I disagree," Had'dah snapped.

"Noted and ignored." Xunyon looked at him and then mustered her most condescending tone to speak. "In case you forgot, Had'dah. You're the one who hired _Tullus Corrion¸_ not I."

"Surely, you don't blame me for that," Had'dah protested. "There are thousands of spies in Terminus Space. It was impossible to screen all of the mercenaries that I hire."

"It was also your job to keep Turian Intelligence away from this operations, not mine." Had'dah was going to protest some more, but Xunyon did not pause. "It was your job to handle the excavation of the data storage devices, not mine. It was your job to abduct Mura quietly, not mine." Then her voice rose in anger, almost snarling. " **It was your job to implement an operation that took several Salarian lifetimes to prepare for! AND YOU FAILED MISERABLY."**

Had'dah looked at Xunyon strangely. Even Vog and Rael were surprised by what she said. Only the Salarian bodyguard remained calm and passive.

"How dare you!" Had'dah retorted.

"I dare a lot." the Dalatrass said calmly, regretting her earlier outburst. "You have no idea how much I've dared and sacrificed to get this far."

This gave Had'dah pause, because he didn't really know how to respond. She was right. He had failed, and the cold, calculating part of his brain overcame his ego. So instead of trying to defend himself any further, he went straight to the point of this meeting.

"Fine! So what do we do now?" He asked. "Hopefully, you have some kind of technology for getting us through that _Brain Scorcher_ and all those miniature blackholes in the digsite, otherwise we'll just have to leave."

Xunyon smiled at this change of subject, and she said. "As a matter of fact, Edan, I do have a few things." She signaled to her bodyguard to bring out one of the sealed containers in his pack. Rael, Vog and Had'dah peered closer as the container was opened. To their surprise, the container held several, simple-looking circlets.

"What are these?" Rael'Zorah asked.

"These gentlemen," Xunyon said, "are psi-dome bands . I will save you the technical details. Basically, the Brain Scorcher protecting our objective emits _psi-waves,_ a product of Noospheric technology. These devices before you can resonate similar waves, but in the opposite direction."

"So basically, they can neutralize the effects of this _Brain Scorcher_?" Rael asked.

"Precisely," Xunyon replied.

"And what about the anomalies there?" Had'dah demanded. "I hope you have some kind of technology to deal with those as well."

As if on cue, Xunyon took out a small handheld device from the fold of her robes and presented it before them. As they peered closer, they saw the device's holographic interface, but that's not what made them speechless. The strange thing about this _detector_ was the fact that it seemed to be made of some kind of silver semi-liquid substance, and was definitely not something found in either Citadel space or in the Terminus.

"This, my friends, is an anomaly detector. It is designed to specifically detect all kinds of anomalies within 5 yards or more." Xunyon explained. "I don't have the power to eliminate anomalies, but I do have the means taht will allow us to find our way."

"Where did you find these things?" Rael asked in wonder, but Xunyon said nothing.

For a brief moment, the room was silent, and finally, Edan asked. "You're sure these machines will work?"

"I'm staking my life on it."

Edan's four eyes grew large with surprise. "You can't seriously be considering going down there? Even if we could pass through the Brain Scorcher and anomalies, we should still use drones to map out the vault before sending in a team to-"

"We don't have time!" Xunyon said emphatically, almost hysterically. . "No more time left. None."

Edan's eyes grew agitated, because if Xunyon is planning to personally enter the vault in the digsite then he will probably have to come as well, and he didn't want that.

"We don't know what's inside that vault..." Edan protested, but was cut off.

"I know what's inside that vault," Xunyon replied imperiously that brooked no argument, and before Had'dah could respond, Xunyon motioned for her bodyguard to summon Sokun and Liara into the room. Had'dah was going to protest for he had a few more questions, but Sokun and T'soni had already entered.

Both xenoarchaeologists looked tired. Liara T'soni in particular looked like she had lost weight, while Sokun had trouble standing up.

"Hello Mura," Xunyon smiled warmly at him, but said nothing more.

"Dalatrass," he said sadly.

"You're hurt?"

"No."

Xunyon looked at Sokun suspiciously, looking for signs of torture. When she found none, she looked at Had'dah who met her eyes defiantly.

"Mr. Had'dah treated us quite well," Sokun said, as he and Liara took their seats. "It's this place - this _Zone_ \- that gave us all the trouble." Despite his weary appearance, the old Salarian managed to smile weakly. "But I am happy to see you, my Dalatrass," he said and his face suddenly became sad. "Though I don't understand what's going on here. You always seemed to me the gentlest creature in the galaxy, and yet here you are, supporting these," he angrily looked briefly at Had'dah, "pirates and grave robbers."

"Watch your tongue, Doctor," Had'dah warned, but his merc, Vog only chuckled at Sokun's feeble insult. Xunyon raised a hand to keep them both quiet.

"You want an explanation on why we are here, Mura?" Xunyon asked, looking at his favored friend, her Salarian eyes weary and sad."I'm afraid I cannot give you an answer," she said sadly. " The answer is more complex than anyone of you can understand." She looked at all of them, including Rael's domed helmet. "But know that our presence here is part of a war thousands of cycles in the making. And I am afraid, that all of us, will only learn the whole truth once it's all over."

Xunyon then turned her attention to Liara T'soni, who despite her haggard appearance still retained a poise that many highborn Asari seemed to have.

"Miss T'soni," Xunyon greeted her. "It is a pity that you became involved in all of this. That had not been part of the plan."

"And what was your plan?" she asked delicately, even as she defiantly met her eyes.

"We only needed Mura." Xunyon answered without pausing. "Your interference, however, was quite curious. Tell me, how did you know that we were going to abduct your mentor?"

Sokun looked at his Dalatrass, but she ignored him. As for Liara, she did not show any signs of surprise. She replied that she had only been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was, after all, Sokun's most promising student and apprentice, so why shouldn't she be close by?

"I already answered these questions before," Liara said and then she looked at Vog who was smiling down at her. "Your thugs abducted me and Doctor Sokun. There's nothing more to say."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing about that unusual call you received shortly before your abduction?"

Sokun looked at Liara with puzzlement. "What is she talking about?" He almost demanded.

Liara kept quiet, but her eyes betrayed her.

"I already know, Dr. T'soni," Xunyon said. "So please, out with it."

"Shortly..." Liara began, "Shortly before we were abducted, I received an anonymous call. I didn't say anything to Mr. Had'dah." She paused to look at the frowning face of the Batarian. "Because I thought it was not importa-" She swallowed to focus her thoughts. "Because I thought it might put us in danger." She then looked at Edan Had'dah a second time, and this time he was glaring at her, trying to find other secrets that she may be hiding.

"I'm willing to believe that you are a pawn in all of this, Asari" Xunyon said then asked, "Tell me, does the name Urdnot Wrex remind you of anything?"

Liara swallowed, she looked at Sokun then back at Xunyon, unsure of how to respond. Edan Had'dah's eyes, however, grew wide with surprise. He knew who Urdnot Wrex is.

"Then perhaps the following recording will help improve your memory." Xunyon entered a few commands on her Omnitool and a recording began:

 _Liara T'soni?_ The voice on the other side was clearly synthesized to cover the real identity of the speaker.

 _Yes, who is this?_

 _A friend. I need to know where Doctor Sokun is right now._

 _Who is this?_

 _Please, we don't have much time. Where is Doctor Sokun?_

 _Is this a prank? Serfitia, if this is another one of your pranks..._

 _This is not a prank Dr. T'soni, and I really need to know where Sokun is right now._

 _I'm not telling you anything until you tell me who you are._

 _I can't tell you that. But you must trust me. Dr. Sokun is in grave danger._

 _What are you talking about?_

 _Someone is planning to abduct him. I can't give you any details but you must trust me.  
_

 _I'm calling security._

 _Yes, you do that._

 _Why would anyone want to abduct him?_

 _It's complicated. I need you to contact security, take Sokun and get out of that area as fast possible. I'll try to help but I... Hello? Hello. Dr. T'soni. Dammit!_

The recording abruptly ended, and

"That was Urdnot Wrex. I'm sure an academic like you has probably never heard of him, but Mr. Urdnot is a..."

"A Spectre! A Gods Damned Spectre" Had'dah hissed, breaking his silence. "You didn't say a Spectre was involved in all this?" He accused, but Xunyon ignored him. Instead, she kept her attention on Liara, but the Asari looked at her in surprise, and then in fear.

"Don't look so surprised, dear," she said and turning to Edan Had'dah's chief mercenary, she said, "The good Spectre also knew about you, Vog. He knew that you and your men had cut off all communications and security to Mura's suite, but he was too far away to stop you on time," she explained, "and so he decided to call the person closest to Mura who can."

"Me?" Liara asked.

Xunyon smiled.

"Where is Spectre Urdnot, now?" Had'dah asked, interrupting.

"Maybe he's lightyears away. Maybe he's on his way here now. Maybe he is already here, and we will have to both fight him and the Turians. I don't know," Xunyon said calmly, indifferent to the threat that they faced.

"Are you telling us that a Spectre is hunting you? And you don't know where he is?" Had'dah snapped. "And why is a Spectre even hunting you? I thought we had the support of the Citadel?"

Rael and Tsoni both stiffened at this sudden revelation, but they knew better than to ask questions so soon. Piracy, Kidnapping and a whole host of crimes. Was it possible that the Citadel was involved in all of this?

"You said the Citadel was backing you!" Had'dah repeated.

Xunyon looked at her partner patiently, but deep inside, she was furious at him for being so careless as to talk about the Citadel in front of Rael'Zorah and Liara T'soni, both of whom did not need to hear any of that. She weighed Had'dah's future usefulness and decided that Had'dah needed to be eliminated permanently.

"Ahhhh, Edan. I don't recall every telling you that I had the Citadel's backing," she said, letting the Batarian figure out the implications on his own.

"You-"

At the beginning of their partnership, Xunyon had convinced Edan Had'dah that the Citadel council were covertly supporting their expedition into Shanxi. This was done to further entice Had'dah at that time, who despite being the ideal candidate to be Xunyon's puppet, was still hesitant to join her.

Many bribes and carefully planted fake evidence had been necessary to give Had'dah the right impression, and for the most part, it worked. Had'dah's personal greed and ambition had caused him to see what he wanted to see, and he'd convinced himself that the Citadel secretly wanted to gather Satakar relics from the planets beyond Turian controlled Relay 314 before the Hierarchy could consolidate their presence in _Satakar_ space.

"It was a lie?!" Had'dah hissed, rising from his seat. Xunyon signaled for his bodyguard to take Rael, Liara and Sokun from the room. "All of it?"

"I didn't lie to you Edan. You lied to yourself," Xunyon replied.

Suddenly, Edan Had'dah temper snapped. "Vog!" He turned to his chief mercenary. "Kill this Salarian Bitch!"

But Hailut Vog did not move. Instead, he looked at Xunyon who had already stood up and was making her way towards the door. Suddenly, Had'dah realized what was going on, and a manic chuckle escaped his lips. Vog was a mercenary, and he worked for the richest and most powerful. Xunyon was wealthier and more powerful than he was. _He had never been in charge. He was a puppet. He had been the Salarian bitch's puppet this whole time._

Madness turned into fury, and Had'dah tried to attack Xunyon, but Hailut Vog prevented him, dragging him backwards even as he tried to lunge at Xunyon's exposed back.

"Vog! Vog! You treacherous scum!" He screamed, as his former hired gun stomped on his torso and limbs.

"Do it quickly," Xunyon ordered before the doors hissed close.

"Aaarrrggghhh!" Had'dah screamed as his skull was pummeled into paste by massive Krogan feet.


	13. Chapter 13

Ser-Be-Rus - What is Ser-Be-Rus? I've spent several sleepless nights trying to find the answer to this enigma.

According to Stokor legends, Ser-be-rus is supposedly a demon of some kind, a three headed monster that guarded the way to the Stokor "Zon." Other sources say that it is some kind of sect or religious order.

Must look into this further. Salarian cults and other Stokor worshipers make several important references about Ser-Be-Rus. There has to be more information out there. Somehow, I think this creature or sect or whatever it is holds a lot of interesting secrets.

\- Dr. Mura Sokun, Unpublished Lecture Notes

* * *

There is no such thing as _death_ in the Zone. Either you survive or it claims you.

\- Stalker Proverb

* * *

Nihlus Kryik felt like hell. He was in hell in many ways. The Turian veteran had been to many hellish planets before, but none of them could compare to Shanxi. For one thing, other planets didn't defy the laws of physics or thermodynamics, nor were their surfaces covered by anomalies or _"emissions."_

He and his men were currently hiding inside a deep and narrow cave, in a small mountain that overlooked Had'dah's original digsite 2 klick away. The Turian soldiers cowered in the darkness, afraid of the emission that was currently raging outside. Their hardsuits were heavily damaged and at least half of their weapons were malfunctioning. Whatever rations or medical supplies they had was quickly being depleted by the harsh environment of Shanxi, but worst of all was the fact that they did not know what the hell was going on. They had lost contact with the Fleet that was supposed to do most of the heavy lifting for the entire operation, which meant that they were alone, cutoff and, if they make a mistake, dead.

Presently, Nihlus sat brooding at the floor of the cave, his eyes firmly fixed at the video feed on his Omni-Tool, his flanges curled in a frown. He was watching the last transmission from the lost fleet, which had been sent several days before they lost contact with it. Nihlus had already seen the video several times before, but he kept watching it again and again, hoping to find some sign that he may have missed before.

The battlegroup sent to pacify Shanxi consisted of two frigates, two transports and three cruisers. It was a large force for a relatively small operation, but the star system that lay beyond Relay 314 was incognita, and the big birds in Palaven didn't want to take any chances, but as fate would have it, their caution had not been enough.

The Zone held many surprises.

The feed was choppy, but it revealed a lot. The video showed a disheveled Turian officer. Nihlus recognized him as the captain of one of the cruisers.

"Scutum, if...zzz... you're getting this...zzzz we are under attack by an unknown contact. Zzzzz... We are...zzzz... pulling out. The operation is ..zzzz... I'm sorry gentlemen. You will just have to dig a hole and... zzzzz... We will come back for you. We promise... Arrggghhh!"

An explosion inside the bridge interrupted the feed. Nihlus knew the first time he saw the video that the captain was dead at this point, but even so, the video feed was still on. It continued to transmit images from all over the doomed bridge.

Fire, and frantic crewmen now filled the screen as the camera's angle twisted back and forth in frenzied malfunction.

"Engines are gone. Barriers down to 10%. Multiple hull breeches. Compartments 5 through 8 are gone. We need to get out here!"

"Launching Escape pods now... I don't care! Just keep them off our... Argghhh."

"What do you mean our Eezo Cores are offline?! Bring them back up now!"

Nihlus ignored the fearful voices. They did not interest him. He was waiting for something else. The video feed continued to play, and Nihlus tried to ignore the chaos, because he was scanning the background for clues of the fleet's mysterious attacker. Finally, near the very end of the video, Nihlus paused the steam at a very specific moment.

Even after watching the same feed several times, Nihlus still couldn't help but shiver at what he saw. The feed showed a blurry image on the central screen of the command bridge. It was partially concealed by the smoke, but Nihlus knew that whatever that thing was, it was the culprit that destroyed the fleet that was supposed to complete the operation. He couldn't make out the details, but it appeared like a giant vertical orbital structure of some kind. It shimmered with some pale unnatural light that made Nihlus shiver in fear.

Nihlus stared at the blurry image for several minutes, unmindful of the eyes and whispers of his men. Even in his weakened and sickly state, the Turian commando mind focused on this strange mystery and how it played into the mission. That something was wrong was plainly obvious, but what really bothered Nihlus was the feeling of helplessness at facing the unknown.

 _It wasn't supposed to end like this; stranded on a hellish planet and cut off from all reinforcements._

Nihlus and his men had been deployed onto Shanxi's surface by a single troop transport more than a week ago. Thanks to the numerous and unstable electromagnetic phenomenon of the Zone, their arrival had not been detected by Had'dah's ship, and they were able to deploy on their LZ without any disturbance. The original plan was for Nihlus and his men to locate all of Had'dah's base, carry out recon, identify key targets of opportunity, make sure that Had'dah and his high ranking men couldn't escape and extract Agent Arterius before the fleet arrived. Once the fleet arrived, apprehending Had'dah and his men would have been a simple matter.

Unfortunately, this was the Zone, and even though they arrived undetected, their transport was severely damaged by an anomaly during descent (They had no intel about anomalies; only emissions). Although most of the commandos managed to survive the crash, their unexpected misfortune was but a foretaste of what the Zone had to offer. Over the course of the next few days, Nihlus' team of elite Turian commandos experienced the terrors of the Zone first hand, and it was a bitter lesson that cost many of them their lives. Many of them learned first hand what anomalies can do, and they wondered in fear at the technology which allowed the "long extinct" Shakari to alter reality in this manner.

Nihlus was no fool, though, nor was he a coward. In a way, he was glad that they were stuck here, because it meant that they will be forced to complete their mission, but he also knew that he was badly outmatched. But even with the odds stacked against him, Nihlus and a few of his braver men were excited for they knew something that Fleet Intelligence did not know.

Shortly before his cover had been blown, Saren revealed that the source of all this mess was a Salarian Dalatrass, and if a Dalatrass was involved then does that mean that the Salarians were involved. And if they were involved, does that mean that the Citadel was involved?

Nihlus shivered. A yes to those answers would mean war, and he did not want war; but if the Citadel was involved with Had'dah then Palaven needed to know, and he swore to his ancestor Spirits that he would find a way to make that happen.

Nihlus turned off his Omni-Tool and shook his mind away from brooding thoughts. He looked at his men – the survivors of his spec-ops team. Of the 30 elite commando troops originally under his command, only 9 were left. Twelve had died from _anomalies_. Six had been attacked and slain by the monsters that inhabited this planet. The last 3 casualties simply disappeared without trace. One moment, they were there, and then they disappeared. Just like that.

These were the terrors of Shanxi. These were the terrors of this _wretched, spirits damned Shakari_ planet.

 _Shakari..._ Nihlus thought with some amusement. _They were supposed to be a benevolent progenitor race, but if their planet is any clue, they're probably a race of monsters._

Nihlus carefully looked at the faces of his men. He saw fear and fatalism in their eyes, and they terrified him even more, because he felt these emotions in himself. But they were Turians, and despite the current ruinous state of the Hierarchy, Turians – true Turians - do not run, even against terrifying odds.

Outside, the sounds of thunder were dying down, a clear sign that the emission was passing... for now, but its abatement did not comfort Nihlus.

"Commander!" one of the lookouts hissed, crawling to his superior, even as Nihlus tried to lay on his back to rest. It was his comms officer, Vataris. He was dirty and hurt like the rest of his men were, but even in his present state, Vataris still managed to act and move with discipline.

"What is it?" Nihlus asked trying to blink the soreness from his eyes.

"I managed to intercept this message from Had'dah's camp." Vataris' face twitched a little even as he activated his Omnitool for Nihlus:

 _Attention, crew and personnel of the Opportunity Cost._

"That's Had'dah's ship," one of the other soldiers commented, crawling closer.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," another of his comrades replied.

"I was just-"

"Both of your quiet!" Nihlus snapped, as he strained to hear the faint sound from the recording. The voice belonged to a Salarian female, an old Salarian female. The rest of Nihlus' men gathered closer to hear what's going on.

 _Your officers know who I am, and they know what my men are capable of. So I will spare you the details. Edan Had'dah is dead. He is dead because he was incompetent. He is dead because he failed. He is dead because I ordered him to die._

"What in the name of the Ancient Spirits..."

"Shut up, and Listen!"

 _As of this moment, I am taking over his ship and his assets for the good of this mission. Even as we speak, boarding parties from my ship have arrived on the Opportunity Cost. Do not attempt to resist. You are no match for them. You face veterans from dozens of battle campaigns._

 _So you now have two choices. Either you follow me and you return to your homes alive and wealthy, or you can defy me, in which case, you die. I trust that you will make the right choice._

The message was on a loop, but they did not need to hear it twice. This was big news.

"Is there a way for us to know what's going on up there?" Nihlus asked Vataris, jabbing his thumb up into space.

Vataris shook his head.

"What does this mean, sir?" Another Turian asked.

Nihlus shrugged, though his mind was in turmoil.

"Sir," Vataris spoke hesistantly. "Agent Arterius... Before he was capture, he said that..."

"I remember Sergeant," Nihlus replied coldly. _So this was the voice of the mysterious Salarian Dalatrass who was pulling everyone's strings!_

"What's the plan sir?" One his younger men asked, while trying to hide his fear... and his excitement. They were afraid, but they were also excited.

Nihlus stared at each of his men. He saw fear in each of their eyes, and he knew that they saw fear in his, but he also saw the fire of determination. Had'dah's dead? Something was going on here, perhaps they could even use it to their advantage. The coward in him screamed that he only had nine men, but Turian duty stood firm against such fears. Nihlus could consign his men to certain doom, hiding on this hellhole of a planet, to wait for a rescue that may never come, or he could act like a true Turian and fight against overwhelming odds.

It was not a difficult choice.

"Pack your gear!" Nihlus snapped at his men with explosive vigor. "Off your scaly asses and on your spirits damned feet!"

Feral joy flashed in the eyes of Nihlus' men as they said "Yes Sir!" in unison.

* * *

The trip back to the abandoned starport had been a relatively fast and simple event. After the last emission, everything in the immediate area was quite calm, and most of the anomaly sites from the drop zone to the digsite had been carefully mapped out ahead of time.

Although the area was littered with anomalies, plotting a course had been easy enough thanks to Xunyon's mysterious _artifact_ detectors, and her men were able to breach the boundaries of the _Brain Scorcher_ without any trouble thanks to mysterious devices that Xunyon brought along - the psi-helmets. But if the non-Salarians of the party were curious about the origins of such strange devices, they were smart enough to keep it to themselves. Some suspected that Xunyon was part of a Citadel black ops program meant to acquire _Sto'kor relics_ , while others believed that she was working for the Shadow Broker. Whatever the truth may be, Xunyon and her men kept it to themselves.

It also helped that Xunyon and her Salarian bodyguards knew what they were doing, and this inspired confidence in the faltering courage of the expedition. After Had'dah's death had been announced and her team of Salarian spec-ops had infiltrated Had'dah's ship, the Opportunity Cost, Xunyon had no trouble in taking control of the situation. Almost all of Had'dah's men and slaves embraced Xunyon if for no other reason than because they hated the recently deceased Batarian smuggler. With the exception of a few loyal henchmen in the Opportunity Cost (who are now loyally dead), Xunyon was able to take control of Had'dah's operation without too much struggle.

Now, only one last task remained...

"Is everything ready?" Xunyon asked his chief bodyguard while surveying the digsite, her hardsuit already covered by dust and dirt. She and her men had only arrived a few minutes earlier, but they had already secured the location and were ready to begin the operation. With them were Had'dah's recently defected Krogan mercenaries, the Xenoarcheologists Liara T'soni and Mura Sokun and Rael'Zorah, the Quarian tech guy. All wore special psi-dome bands as well as all manner of anti-anomaly protection.

Xunyon came in prepared.

"Yes, Dalatrass," the bodyguard answered emotionlessly. "When Had'dah and his men abandoned the area, they also abandoned many of their equipment behind."

"What about the Spectre? Will he be a problem?"

"It depends on the timing, Dalatrass. If we're lucky, we may be able to finish our operation before he overtakes us."

"How likely is that?"

"Unlikely."

Xunyon paused to think about this. "And Agent Arterius? How is he?"

"Secured. We're using him as bait to draw out the other Turians on the planet."

"How many do you think there are?"

"Probably not a lot," the Salarian bodyguard replied and then added with a smile. "If our intel is right, they've been out in the Zone for days, and we both know what that means. But in the probable scenario that they do mount a rescue attempt, we''ll be ready."

Xunyon grunted approval in response. "And the rest of the Starport? The digsite?"

"The _human_ ruins are safe as far as my men can tell." A slight smile appeared on the bodyguard's face as he said the word, _human_. They say that there is power in knowing a thing's real name, and he knew the real name of the _Sto'kor._ He felt power in that knowledge, a secret kind of power.

"Don't let the others hear you say that," Xunyon hissed at him.

"They already know, Dalatrass. The Stalker known as Doctor appeared before many of Had'dah's men, remember?"

"True," Xunyon growled, "but even so, I don't want you using their _real name_ lightly! Understood?"

"You're not being superstitious are you, my Dalatrass?"

Xunyon flashed an angry glare at her bodyguard, and the Salarian quickly shut up and lowered his gaze in humility and submission.

"As you wish, my Dalatrass," he replied softly and with humility. "Anything else?"

Xunyon looked at Vog and his men. They were mercs, and it occurred to her that if they were prepared to betray Edan Had'dah then they could just as easily turn on her.

"One last thing. Have some of your men watch Vog and his Krogan mercs. If they try anything..."

"My men will take care of them," The bodyguard answered confidently. It wasn't his first time dealing with Krogan mercs, and he had anticipated the same concerns that Xunyon had. He bowed curtly and left.

Xunyon took a deep breath to calm herself and quickly turned to look at the activity going on around her. The Krogans were busy deploying and manning defensive emplacements, while T'soni and Sokun were prepping their gear. They looked at her briefly and then turned away, as if fearing that she might learn what they were planning.

She chuckled at the thought.

As for Rael'zorah, he was busy admiring the local architecture, mainly the broken dilapidated wreckage of ancient "Sa'kar" starships. They were impressive. There was nothing in Citadel space that could compare to them. Rael always imagined the "Sakar" to be the inferiors of the Protheans (after all they never left behind any "Sa'kar" beacons), but seeing their works here and now changed his mind. He now understood why Edan Had'dah had wasted so much time digging through these ruins. The exotic technology here rivaled anything found among the richest Prothean ruins.

His sightseeing, however, was interrupted by the arrival of a late Tomkah, and from it emerged several a group of Salarians, carrying several strange silver obelisk-like devices.

Rael'Zorah stared at the strange devices as Xunyon's men began deploying them at the entrance of the digsite. They had deployed a similar device in the late Edan Had'dah's dropzone/basecamp, but Rael didn't get a chance to examine them.

He had that chance now, and the Qurian looked at one of the strange devices with an engineer's focused curiosity. It was a large obelisk-like object about twice the height of a normal Quarian. There was nothing particularly unusual about the device, save for the unusual aura that seemed to permeate it.

"They're Null Field Projector," came Xunyon's voice from behind him.

Rael quickly turned to find the Dalatrass standing there.

"What do they do?" Rael asked.

Xunyon smiled at the rather innocuous question. She was about to give a more detailed explanation, but decided that she did not have the time, so she opted for a more succinct answer. "The Stokors possess – to use simplistic vernacular – teleportation technology. These devices," she pointed at the obelisks, "will buy us some time."

Rael looked at her in surprise. _Teleportation Technology?_ "Are you seriously saying that the Sa'kar are capable of point to point matter displacement? Teleportation?"

"Among other things. The Projectors will also weaken the C-Consciousness' control over the immediate vicinity."

"C-Consciousness?"

Xunyon explained what the C-Con is, but Rael could only stare at her in disbelief.

"Keelah! You mean to tell me that the Sa'kar have technology that can warp reality"

Xunyon sighed, like a prophet to an unbeliever, then turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Rael took one last look at the devices that were still being installed and hurried after the Dalatrass. He needed answers.

"Are they... Are the Sa'kar really still alive?" Rael asked, as he caught up with Xunyon.

"Does it change anything if they are?" Xunyon asked.

"You know it does! I signed up to gather relics from the ruins of a dead race. I did not sign up to..." Rael was interrupted.

"I mean does it change anything for you?" Xunyon paused and looked at him squarely in the eye. Rael swallowed, and he was glad that the Salarian woman couldn't see his face behind his visor. "You are here on this planet, with us. Now is not the time to falter. So I ask again, does it change anything for you?"

"No," Rael answer, "but you still owe me answers."

"About?" Xunyon asked imperiously, as she began walking towards the entrance again.

"About the algorithms"

"I gave you all the information you needed."

"I'm not talking about that! I'm asking you what you're going to do with it," he snapped. "Those algorithms. They're more advanced than anything we have in Citadel space. In the wrong hands, they could be used to..."

Xunyon's eyes flashed with anger, as she turned around to look at Rael. "I have been quite lenient with you for quite some time, Rael'Zorah, but you are really trying my patience. You have been paid to do one thing, and you will do it without any further questions, do you understand!"

Rael froze, but not afraid. He had taken too many risks in his life to be afraid, but even so, he was now very cautious. He knew when to cut his losses.

"Yes," he said in a flat dispassionate voice, a tone that expressed obedience.

"Good! Make yourself ready. We are moving in."

* * *

Entry into the inner vaults had been relatively easy. Edan Had'dah's men had already managed to open the outer doors, mapped the anomalies within the outer tunnels and removed all the rubble in their way. The only reason the Batarian smuggler wasn't able to press forward was because he diverted his other assets to gather "Satakar" junk. Xunyon and her men were not burdened with similar flaws, and they wasted no time in making their way into the tunnels that would send them to their prize.

"Remember, we don't have much time," Xunyon reminded them before they entered. With her came four of her best Salarian bodyguards, along with Sokun and Liara – the Xenoarcheologist, and Rael'Zorah – the "tech-Quarian." Vog and his Krogan mercs, along with the rest of Had'dah's defectors had been left outside to guard the entrance.

They entered in a single file, with the bodyguards first, followed by Liara and Sokun, followed by Rael and then by Xunyon and another bodyguard. Every now and then, they stopped to allow the lead bodyguard to throw forward a pebble to see the precise location of the anomalies. When a pebble hits one, they get a terrifying flash of light, a burst of energy or a hiss of acid. It was all unnatural, and they both marveled and feared the darkness of the tunnels, and the eerie lights that betrayed the existence of nearby anomalies. Soft whispers and mischievous noises haunted their ears, and the party edged forward slowly, as if fearing the appearance of some primordial god, waiting to devour them.

Seconds seemed like hours, and the tunnels – the strange and gargantuan tunnels - seemed to go onward into infinite darkness, illuminated by nothing but by the eerie glow of their visors' Night Vision. So bereft of light and life were they, that Rael'Zorah and perhaps Liara too, feared that they would be lost in the maze. Only the buzzing whine of the anomaly detector on Xunyon's hand kept such fears at bay, even as it guided their every step as they pushed deeper and deeper into the tunnels. They relaxed when it buzzed slowly and quietly, and froze when it buzzed fast. It was strange for the detector to make such a sound, but its sounds inspired within them a strange primal fear. How Xunyon knew about such tunnels, Mura, Liara and Rael could only guess, but the ominous darkness only added to their fears.

Finally, after what seemed like days of endless walking, they arrived at a crossroad. The tunnel branched out into three directions, each with signs and directions to indicate where they led.

"Mura!" Xunyon ordered the Xenoarcheologist to come forward. It was for this reason that he had been abducted.

"These symbols…" the elderly Salarian muttered. "They're nothing like any Sto'kor script I've read before."

"Can you read them or not?" Xunyon said, barely hiding her anxiety.

"I can try." He looked at each of the writings. They were old and half buried by dust and debris. "I think so, yes."

"Good," Xunyon said with some relief. "Which of these tunnels lead to the Reaper Vaults?"

" _Reaper_ Vaults?"

"Just do as I say!"

Mura Sokun looked at his Asari assistant Liara T'soni and quickly scanned each of the tunnels. His fear was growing but so was his eagerness. He could feel himself walking closer and closer to some new discovery, a discovery that was both terrifying and magnificent at the same time. Mura considered plotting against Xunyon, to make some daring plan that would allow him to defy the mysterious machinations of his Dalatrass, and to take whatever treasures she was seeking for himself (for the good of science and history of course). But he was too much of a realist to entertain such thoughts and he reverted back to the habits of a scholar.

" _Z_ _hatka_ \- Reaper," Mura muttered, as his eyes focused on the words that he was searching for. They weren't just directions. They also contained words of warning. For a long time, Mura focused on them, pondering their dread-filled message. "Mura!" Xunyon snapped at him when she could no longer tolerate his silence.

"Oh yes, please excuse me." Sokun looked at the strange symbols again, most of which were barely discernible. "According to this, the _Zhatka_ – no, Reaper – vaults are that way." He pointed at the left tunnel then he paused to read some of the other words. "There are... warnings here."

"Warnings?" Rael asked.

"Yes, it's hard to translate, but basically it goes something like this: _Unauthorized persons – personnel - not allowed. Sealed off by Great Factions. Fallen Killing Ships. Third War._ " Sokun frowned, and a creeping dread began to crawl up his spine. "There's something here about _brain indoctrination?_ Do you know what that means?"

"They don't matter," Xunyon said imperiously, and her tone tolerated no dissent. Mura looked at Liara, wishing to speak with her but he nodded obediently and walked back to his place among the troop.

* * *

The final stretch of the tunnels which led to the Reaper vaults had been a very brief affair. That particular area of the underground tunnel did not contain any anomalies, nor did it have any winding or strange features. It was basically a straight tunnel – dark to be sure – but it held no surprises.

At the end of their journey, they reached what appeared to be a vestibule of some kind. The strange area contained several ancient holographic interfaces, remarkably well-preserved after many millennia. Within the vestibule, stood a great vault door with very bold inscriptions written across the surface. The vault door itself was made from some very exotic looking materials, unlike anything they have seen before. It seemed to have a fluid-like quality and yet it was actually harder than many of the toughest high-density materials found in Citadel space.

"Amazing..." Rael muttered as he tried to scan the vault's door with his Omnitool, but most of the readings made no sense to him. It was as if the materials themselves defied all natural laws.

"Rael," Xunyon turned to the Quarian and pointed him in the direction of the controls. And then she turned Sokun, who yelped when she interrupted his academic sightseeing. "Mura go and help him. You handle the translations. Rael'Zorah will deal with the encryption. Work fast. We are running out of time"

Rael and Mura looked at each other, briefly forgetting the ominous darkness that surrounded them in this gaping, alien tunnel, and then they quickly obeyed. Xunyon and her bodyguards walked off to one corner to discuss something important, which left Liara no choice but to stand alone. She would have joined Sokun and the Quarian, but her mentor gestured for her to stay where she was, and reluctantly, she obeyed.

Although Xunyon had originally ordered her to stay with Vog and his Krogan mercs, Mura had insisted that she come along with the expedition, partly out of fear for her safety but also because he believed (quite rightly) that he may need his help with some of the translations.

To distract her mind from the gloom of the tunnel, Liara decided to focus on some of the more subtle aspects of the vestibule, namely some of the strange graffiti on the walls of the tunnel. Most are barely readable, but there were some that were still eligible. Unfortunately, these were written in a strange script that she was not familiar with, one that was rarely found among Stakar digsites. So she contented herself in simply admiring them, imagining to herself the ancient wisdom that such hidden knowledge contained:

 _What kind of bees produce milk? Boobies!_

 _Blowout soon fellow Stalker. XAXAXAXAXA_

 _I took a dump here two thousand years ago. My shit has now turned into jet fuel. Harvest it baby!  
_

 _You're headed in the wrong way. Robot cuttlefish this away. The Ganja Garage is thataway._

 _How many times do I have to tell you bastards not to come here? This place is sealed off. Now, fuck off. All of you!_

 _And Stop Defaming Faction Property! That means you, Kiril, you Gopnik sunovabitch._

Liara was shaken from her thoughts at the sound of the vault's doors opening. They did it! Rael and Sokun had managed to unlock the vault. Despite herself, and the dangers around her, Liara felt nothing but excitement. The archeologist in her burned with curiosity. Despite everything that had happened to her and Sokun, despite the threats and dangers, she wanted to know what Xunyon was after. She wanted to know what the Stakar – the ancient ones – hid here. Were they hiding a beacon? Some technology?

Or perhaps this was the gateway to their home? Perhaps this vault was their home! She'll finally be able to meet a real Stakar.

Liara was once again distracted from her ruminations, but this time, it was Rael who was the culprit.

"Hello," the Quarian greeted her nervously, and then nodded in the direction of the Salarians, Sokun, Xunyon and her bodyguards. They were discussing what to do next now that they had opened the gate. "Looks like they'll need a few minutes to clear what's on the other end, and after that little work, I thought I could use a little rest." The Quarian's tone was amiable, and he cautiously introduced himself. "I never got the chance to introduce myself. My name is Rael'Zorah vas Ta... uh... vas Ta'sil."

Liara paused at the _vas Ta'sil._ It meant exile. The Quarian was probably a criminal, or most likely a political refugee from the Quarian Civil War considering his technical capabilities.

"Hello Rael'Zorah. My name is Liara T'soni. I'm Dr. Sokun's Senior Assistant."

"Yes, I know. Ms... um... T'soni. The Dalatrass explained all that to me." Rael tried to be cheerful but he kept rubbing his fingers, a common indicator of stress and anxiety among Quarians.

Liara felt his fear and wanted to give him a few words of comfort, but her own fears made her anxious. She felt like dark tendrils were all around her, grasping at her hardsuit, ready to tear her apart at the slightest mistake.

"My daughter would love this place," Rael said to himself, as he nervously watched the bodyguards file into the vault. "She loves the old Sakar legends."

"You have a family?" Liara asked.

"Yes, a wi..." He regretted the slip up. "Yes, I have a family."

"There's no need to be afraid of me."

Rael did not respond. Instead, he employed a common tactic used by exiled Quarians when faced with difficult conversational topics: He changed it.

"What does it say?" Rael asked pointing at one of the grafitti, the larger ones: _There ain't no stash here Stalker. I stole 'em all centuries ago, but please take this: Your mother's number._

Liara squinted at it, and shook her head. "I'm not sure," she said. "The message appears to involve some kind of stash and someone's parent. I'm sorry. I will need more time to translate these."

"It's probably a love letter of some sort," Rael said shrugging.

"We are not here to look at ancient grafittis," Xunyon snapped at them, interrupting Rael and Liara's conversation. "The vault is clear We can move in. Let's go. Both of you."

Ancient dust floated around the troop as they entered, and even their NV visors had trouble piercing the darkness within, which seemed to have some sort of unnatural quality. .

What greeted them within was awesome, for beyond the door was a massive cavern the size of a small city, and it was filled with gigantic but broken machines unlike anything they've ever seen before. They appeared to be around 300 to 400 meters long, but because they had been dissembled into numerous pieces, it was hard to ascertain the precise dimensions of these ships.

The darkness from the cavern seemed to cry out, even as its machine occupants lay silently in their rest.

"What are those things?" Liara asked in awe. She had seen Stakar ships above. Whatever these machines are, they were not created by the Stakar.

"Those my dear, are what destroyed the Prothean Empire," Dalatrass Xunyon said with excitement and she added, "Behold! The Ancient Demons that legends speak of! Now, reduced to scrap metal. The Reapers!"

"The Reapers?" asked Rael curiously. "These are the Reapers?"

"Don't you remember what you read on the Book of the Reaper, Rael'Zorah? Don't you remember the passage about how they wiped out entire civilizations for billions of years? Well, look around you! Do you still think it's all a myth?"

"But I thought... I thought..."

"You thought what? That they're just monsters meant to scare the superstitious and the simple?" Xunyon pointed a gentle finger at the ancient wrecks. "Those are not myth. They are the remnants of an ancient fleet that attacked the Zone millennia ago. The humans kept these specimens here for study..."

"Goddess..." Liara's whispered, while Sokun and the others were speechless. " Sweet Merciful Goddess..."

"These things have slaughtered entire alien civilizations for millions of years," Xunyon explained, her voice filled with long repressed fears and raptures. "Humanity," she said, using the true name of the Stokors as if it was some kind of magical spell, "destroyed them, but there are others out there. More of them, and they will return soon to consume us all!" She hissed in semi-hysteria. "They kill us all if we fail," she hissed at them, and her normally stoic bodyguards fidgeted, because they knew what she knew.

Mura, Liara and Rael were not given the chance to react to her outburst, because she immediately ordered them to start working.

"It will take me several minutes to scan through all the various sub-routines, but I think I can find the algorithms we're looking for," Rael said, as he deployed his equipment close to one of the largest hulks.

"How long will that take?" Xunyon asked.

"About a half an hour?"

"You have fifteen minutes."

Rael wanted to complain, but his pride and indignation caused him to swallow back the complaint. "I will need Dr. Sokun's help translating some of the data," he said instead.

"By all means," Xunyon replied. "That's why we abducted him in the first place." She then ordered Sokun and Liara to help Rael.

In the meantime, Xunyon ordered her men to set up defensive positions around the cavern, just in case anything should happen. Extra Anomaly scanners and miniaturized null field projectors were deployed as well. For Xunyon, time flowed too slowly. She couldn't wait to get away from this place with her prize, and this caused her to pace around and around near the mouth of the cavern, as if waiting for some late rendezvous.

"I got it!" Rael yelled after 11 minutes of searching. "I – we Dr. Sokun, Miss Liara and I - we found the algorithms!"

"Then extract it now!"

"Five Minutes Dalatrass! I need five minutes!"

Xunyon wanted to yell at him to work faster, but she swallowed her terror inspired fury, knowing that it would do nothing to change the situation.

As the scanning began, a strange humming sound erupted from one of the large hulks in the cavern. It sounded like the groaning of an ancient creature, recently awaken from ages of torpor, and it hummed with power that shook the ground of the ancient vault cavern.

"Yooouuuuuu!" The voice seemed to focus on Xunyon, who unconsciously took a step back. "You have their taint."

"Salaaaariaaaan..."

"Quuuaaaariiiian..."

"Asssaaaaarrrriiiii..."

"How did you reach this place?"

"Goddess! They're alive!" Liara yelped.

"Of course, they're alive!" Xunyon snarled. "Rael! Hurry!"

"Two minutes!" Rael replied in panic. "Keelah, this is... This is impossible!"

"Free us! Free us from the _Abominations_! We will save you from the Abominations. We will save you from your fleeeeessshhhhh."

"What is it talking about?" Mura asked and it dawned on him. "The Sto'kor. It's warning us about the Sto'kor." He quickly turned to his Dalatrass, his scheming, secretive Dalatrass. "Why are they calling the Sto'kor _Abominations?"_

But Xunyon did not answer. Instead, she just stared at the hulks in the vault, as if they were the source of all evil in the galaxy.

 _"Organics. You are doomed. All of you are doomed._ Look at what the Abominations did to us! _They_ _will corrupt you all. Heeeelp us_."

"Rael!" Xunyon snarled.

"Almost there... I have it! I have the algorithms!"

"Everyone Out! Out now! Out!" Xunyon snarled, and they all fled back to the entrance, unmindful of the unseen dangers that may be in their way.

 _Return! Coooooome to Ussssss!_ The howling machines cried.

"Can those things hurt us?!" Rael yelled at Xunyon.

"It's not the Reapers that you should be worried about. Run!" Xunyon ordered, and her bodyguards ran faster, deperate to retrace the path that will allow them to escape the tunnels. They ran frantically past the passage ways, despite the constant beeping and sounds that came from Xunyon's detector.

One of Xunyon's bodyguards nearly walked into a heat anomaly but he managed to duck just in time, sustaining only minor burns for it.

"I'm okay!" he snarled through the pain. "Keep going. Keep going."

Xunyon and her other bodyguards did not need any urging. They pressed forward at a faster pace, only occassionally throwing a pebble or two when something shimmered in their path.

"I think we're clear." One of the Salarian bodyguards said when they finally reached the outer vaults. "I can already see the passage way. Come on. I'll take the lead."

"Dalatrass," Mura stammered Xunyon's title with fear and surprise. "What were those things really? I can't..."

"We will discuss this later Mura," she said sharply and urged them to follow her chief bodyguard.

As they came close to the edge of the vault, however, they were intercepted by one of Vog's men. The Krogan was slightly injured, but it was nothing a Krogan couldn't handle.

"Dalatrass!"The Krogan mercenary yelped. "Thank Kalros. I found you. We're under attack from an unidentified ship. It came out of nowhere. Started bombing us and dropping troops all over our location. Vog and your men are trying to hold the line, but they won't last long."

"The Turians?"

"No, Krogans! Citadel Soldiers! We're trying to..." Several explosions from outside interrupted his speech, and it was clear that the battle was still raging. "We need to get you out here, Dalatrass! We need to leave now! We're detecting massive energy fluctuations all over the planet. Vog and the others are already preparing to leave. We're just waiting for you."

"It's the Spectre," Xunyon's chief bodyguard hissed.

"And the humans," Xunyon added with a smile. "I'd imagine they must be quite angry that we looted one of their ancient vaults." Then she turned to the Krogan messenger. "And I'm flattered that Hailot Vog cares enough about my safety," she said with sarcasm.

Her bodyguards formed a cordon around Xunyon, as they prepared to escort her to the Tomkah that would bring her to the LZ, and into the transport that will bring her and her prize back to her ship, _The Librarian._

But she pushed them away gently, and leaned on one of the walls.

"What are you doing?" the young Krogan demanded. "Are you insane, Salarian?"

She ignored him and quickly closed her eyes to calm her nerves. She hoped that it would never have come to this, but fate it seemed refused to give her what she wanted without a fight. Seeing that she had no other recourse, Dalatrass Xunyon removed a strange glowing object from the folds of her robe and brought it close to her face.

"That's a…." Liara's surprise prevented her from finishing her own sentence when she saw Xunyon take out the strange crystal-like object.

"That's an _artifact_ ," one of the bodyguards completed her sentence for her. "A _Mind Beacon Artifact to be specific."_

Xunyon, though, ignored them as she sent her thoughts spiraling to the creatures that watched over her.

 _Mistress,_ Xunyon thought, _I have failed you. The Spectre. He and his henchmen will not allow me and my men to escape. We require your help._

 _Do you have the algorithm?_ The thought-voice on the other end was female – cold and ancient.

 _Yes we have it, but we won't be able to escape on time, and I fear that the Stalkers are already converging on our location._

There was a short pause, as the other entity considered options carefully.

 _Very well… We will come._

 _Thank You Mistress Lawson. Thank You..._

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, it was Cerberus all along, and Xunyon is one of their cultists. If I manage to continue this fic, the origins of these "Sto'kor" cults will be explained in flashbacks when S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Humans interacted with the primitive ancestors of the Citadel races.

Only one last chapter (and one last plot tweeeest) before the aliens and the Stalkers start interacting with each other. So hang on to your vodka bottles and your Ak's because Part One of Anomalous Effect is about to end with a tweeeeeest.

Second Author's Note: A few notes about Cerberus.

Stalker!Cerberus is not like Canon Cerberus. Remember that humans are bound to the C-Consciousness, because of their fractured Noosphere (i.e. The Zone; i.e. Psychic Space Cancer). If they sever their link to the C-Con, bad things happen to them, like accelerated mutations or worse.

A good way to understand the humanity's relationship with the Zone is to imagine a city that is permanently suffering from a super-plague, except this super-plague also warps reality, creates anomalies and causes emissions.

People in our city are essentially plague bearers. If they try to leave, they only end up spreading the plague (i.e. the Zone, which is exactly what happened when humanity first developed FTL based on the Teleportation Anomaly. Instead of escaping the Zone, they ended up spreading it). The only way to keep the plague in check is to take regular doses of medication (C-Con) and quarantine the city (which explains why humanity has isolated itself).

Now, this is not a perfect analogy because humans can live and survive outside the Zone, but they can only do so for a limited amount of time, because they must ultimately return to the C-Consciousness in order to stabilize their Noospheric integrity or suffer the consequences.

In short, the C-Con is the foundation of human existence in Anomalous Effect.

Throughout Stalker!Humanity's history only two groups of humans were able to overcome the necessity of being part of the C-Con. The first group is the Monolith, and this is because they had already been psychically raped by the Monolith/Wish Granter entity into serving the Zone as its monster-zombie army.

The second group is Cerberus. If you go back to the timeline (Chapter 5), there are hints of what Cerberus was trying to do, but it basically boils down to severing the link between Humanity and the Zone.

How?

Well, remember that Cerberus is not operating in human space (i.e. the Zone), which means that they have found a way to sever their link to the Zone, and they've succeeded.

How?

They eliminated their humanity. Since the Zone is tied up with the human Noosphere, the Cerberus response is to simply stop being human.

So in this period, they are basically post-humans, and they want to do the same thing to the rest of humanity. To go back to our plague analogy, Cerberus' answer to the plague that is the Zone is to change humanity such that it becomes immune to the plague, but doing so, involves a lot of unethical and unnatural surgeries.

I know it's a deviation from what Cerberus is in canon, but I think that I'm faithful to the spirit that made Cerberus what it is.


	14. Chapter 14

I know I promised the last chapter for this update, but I couldn't help writing this one instead. So second to the last chapter update.

* * *

Have you heard the story about the second Zone, rookie? They say that the Zone - our Zone - was not the first; that there was another alien race long ago that also damaged their Noosphere and nearly destroyed the galaxy because of it. Some say that they were big, supposedly like giant whales or fish... oh, and that they had telepathy too! Psi-Powers! Yes, just like us but stronger! More potent.

Maybe it's just the vodka talkin', but I gotta tell yah, rook, them stories about another Zone out there sure scare the shit out of me.

They say that Strelok found them, and Dyegtyarev too. Found em swimming in some ocean planet or somethin' Found em before they disappeared, or in Dyegtyarev's case...

What's that? Well, of course, the Factions would never admit what really happen to Strelok. They're full of shit. There was uh... damn bottle's empty... There was a time, you know... a time when the oh so Great Factions had done good for the whole goddamn human race, but time, politics and the Zone fucked it all up...

Well, fine! Don't believe me then. You can make up your own mind. Give me that bottle. It's empty? Shit. How about that one. Okay, hand it here.

What was I gonna say? Blyad! Lost my train of thought. Ah, forget it. This Vodka's shit.

\- _Cardan_

* * *

 _Idi Ko Mnye..._

 _I'm calling out to you, Strelok._

 _Come to me._

The voice was angelic, beautiful and familiar. It felt like bittersweet reminder of memories long forgotten and Strelok could not help but stir in half-dreaming wakefulness as the whispers became more insistent.

 _Come to me._

 _Strelok._ That is his name. He is the _Gun Slinger, a Stalker... A Human._

 _Human._ He wanted to laugh. "Humans" now had 106 chromosomes more than twice the 46 that they once had before the fucking Zone turned them into... _into something else_.

Finally, after what may have been a few minutes or a few centuries, Strelok opened his eyes. His sight was a blur, and the world around him whirled as if his eyes were struggling to come into focus. He tried to breathe a couple of times, but his body refused to respond. He would have slipped back into torpor and dormancy, but the voice returned, more insistent than before.

 _Strelok!_

 _Come to me..._

The voice faded into the darkness of his mind, but its echoes made Strelok feel unable to disobey.

" _It's calling out to you_ ," an ancient voice spoke from within the darkness.

"Yes," Strelok answered in barely a whisper. "And they've returned. _It_ knows."

 _"Our creations have returned, and so must you. You need to go back."_

"I know," Strelok responded in the same hoarse whisper, though much louder this time. As his eyes began to focus, he observed his surroundings. He was still in the same artificial underwater cave that the Leviathans had created specifically for him many centuries ago, a cold, lightless place hidden in the deepest oceans of the secret Leviathan planet. It was large, this cave; far too large for only one human; but then again the Leviathans were giants, so it sort of made sense that they would construct things to gigantic proportions.

As Strelok began to focus his senses, he felt his ancient muscles and nerves coming back to life, and with them, the same old fears, joys and impulses.

Presently, he lay on his back, covered by a Sarcophagus Anomaly of Leviathan construct. He quickly shook away the influence of the anomaly and began to flex his muscles, long dormant from his millennia-long torpor. He touched his face; felt his long, aquiline nose; his sharp features and the scarred leathery skin that was the mark of all Stalkers.

As he took stock of his situation, Strelok realized that he wore only an old loincloth, and he remembered that he had lost most of his equipment during the long perilous journey to find these legendary creatures more than 10,000 years ago.

Feeling a little silly, Srelok felt his arms and legs, fearing that they may have mutated during his long sleep. His flesh was scarred and covered by small tumors, but thankfully, more or less still human.

 _Human._ What an odd concept?

He had stopped being completely human a long time ago. Hell, humanity stopped being completely human long ago. What was left of the human race's humanity are their tattered pieces of sanity; their last shred of defense against the ravages of the Zone. Humanity and Strelok in particular clung to these last bits of humanity like they were the most precious thing in the galaxy, for they knew that if they were to lose those last little remnants they would be...

 _Come to me..._ The whisper uttered, more insistent this time and more malevolent. There was a threat now, and Strelok blocked his mind from that malevolent presence in the back of his thoughts.

 _You can run away from the Zone, but you can't run from that which connects you to the Zone,_ he reminded himself, and he absentmindedly touched the Black Heart _artifact_ embedded into his chest as he always did when such dark thoughts about the Zone intruded into his mind.

Suddenly, a sharp, painful luminescence filled the artificial cave, and Strelok covered his eyes from the glare. He peered up at the Giant Creature that now towered before him, floating noiselessly, like some primordial predator.

The creature appeared like a giant squid cuttlefish hybrid, easily one kilometer tall; its malevolent eyes piercing through the darkness, glaring at Strelok; a titan of darkness and power. However, despite all its terrible majesty, it peered into him, not as a god, but as an equal.

Outside of his cave prison, he could feel the presence of the other Leviathans, their eyes piercing through the walls to stare at him in his moment of weakness.

 _Strelok,_ the creature whispered.

Strelok did not answer. He was still struggling not to go back into torpor.

 _Strelok!_ Both the Leviathan and the monstrous whisper from beyond the stars uttered simultaneously.

Strelok tried to ignore the command as well as the hulking image of the gargantuan alien in front of him by observing his recently illuminated surroundings. His cave was, for the most part, empty, and the only sign of technology was at the mouth of the cave, where the Leviathans had installed a series of strange cylindrical objects to keep the water from the cave.

All in all, Strelok's cave looked normal... except for some strange phenomenon that flickered and sparkled here and there. Strelok had hoped he wouldn't find them when he opened his eyes, but there they were : _Anomalies._ The cave had anomalies, and he remembered his surprise when he first discovered the secrets of this planet. Back then, he only suspected rumors and half-truths, but as it turned out the rumors had been true. Humanity's Zone was not the first in this galaxy. The only difference was that whereas Humanity's Zone had spread throughout a small section of the galaxy, the Zone of the Leviathans was confined to the darkest depths of their water covered planet, hidden from the eyes of the galaxy.

 _Leviathans_ , Strelok thought idly. That was not the name of the gargantuan monstrosities. In truth, they had forgotten their name millions of years ago. Nevertheless, Leviathan was a fitting name nonetheless, and thus _Leviathan_ , Strelok called them.

Even after several millennia of living with the aliens, Strelok still had trouble believing that humans were not the only ones that had a Zone; that there was another, or perhaps many others more, who have damaged their Noosphere, and have thus created their own _Zones. And if that is so then_ _what does that mean for the galaxy_...

" _Can you still control your mutations_?" The Leviathan asked, interrupting Strelok's musings.

Strelok did not answer. Instead, he extended a hand forward and the fingers twisted themselves into claws then into webbed appendages then into bony tendrils then into human fingers once again, all in a span of a few minutes.

 _"Good_ ," the Leviathan remarked, pleased that the human's mind had not deteriorated during his sleep, and even now, was returning back to the waking world, back from the land of nightmares that gave rest and surcease from the terrible mutations. It was not unheard of even among its kind to go mad during those long but necessary periods of dormition, to be swallowed up by their increasingly unstable mutability and become... something else entirely.

As if sensing his hesitation, the great Leviathan said: _There is no escape from this... They will come for your people... and ours._ Then outside, in the watery shadows of his vision, the feral eyes of other ancient Leviathans appeared from beyond the walls of his cave, glowing red dots that stared into his soul, glaring at him, pleading with him in silence.

 _You created the Reapers!_ Strelok accused with his thoughts.

 _We did it to protect the galaxy,_ replied the Leviathan representative.

 _I know._ Strelok answered in misery. _But did it work?_

 _For millions of years,_ the Leviathans answered proudly. _Our machines protected sapients from their own inevitable doom, from the inevitable degradation of their Noosphere, which is the fate of all higher lifeforms._

 _Extermination is not a solution. The Reapers were a mistake._

 _It worked well enough. Life itself is a mistake. The death of the Noosphere is proof of that._

 _You failed to anticipate humanity._ Strelok retorted. _You failed to anticipate us, and our Zone is growing._

 _That's because you and your kind are abominations,_ the Leviathan said matter-of-factly, not as a curse, _and our machines will return to try destroy your kind, and then they will ensure that no life, no cycle, will ever come again. This is your doing._ The last statement was an accusation. _They now realize how dangerous sapient life really is, just as we have realized during The First Cycle._

 _You are abominations._ The Leviathans repeated.

 _And your kind too!_ Strelok reminded them. _And trust me. If Reapers or even the Monolith wipes out humanity, they will come for you next._

A loud piercing shriek swallowed up the cave, and he could feel the wrath of the Leviathans turn against him, wishing to punish him for his impudence.

 _And your C-Consciounsess, human? Has your species' solution to your Zone worked? Or is it simply a different kind of mistake?_

Strelok did not respond. He knew the answer to that. _A different kind of mistake_. Yes, that about sums it up. And now that the Reapers are returning, there are only two likely outcomes to this millennia old conflict. Either the Zone wins, and it spreads to the rest of the Galaxy, or the Reapers win, in which case, they continue their billion year genocidal killing streak. Either way, humanity - no, the galaxy - is fucked.

 _We are kindred, human. Your kind are the only ones like our own – cursed and damned. Our Zone demands its tribute, just as yours do. Will you go back to them now? There is still more that we can teach you, but time is running out... for all of us._

Strelok pondered the choice long and hard, but his companions did not find his hesitation objectionable. They were a patient species – more than most could ever appreciate.

 _I will go._ Strelok said at last. He waited for some kind of response, but none came. Only a strange kind of hesitation came from Leviathans, as if they were not sure on the correct course of action, or perhaps, they simply feared what came next.

 _Do I detect hesitation from the ancient ones?_ Strelok told them.

 _Indeed,_ the Leviathan answered in a tone that almost seemed like sarcasm. _The truth is this is your fight now, and as much as we detest your putrid, arrogant species, our fate is in your miserable hands._

Strelok did not understand why, but he felt pleased by that insult. It was reassuring in a way, and despite himself, he did feel some strange but distant affinity with the Leviathans.

Strelok stood up, and his body trembled as it stirred into motion – real motion - for the first time in more than 10,000 years. Strelok struggled to contain the power that was in him, that terrible connection with the Zone that constantly threatened to strip away all of his humanity. His flesh tingled and strange luminescence flowed through him, drawing him from the darkness of his torpor into the waking dangers of the galaxy beyond.

 _Now then,_ the Leviathan muttered in one voice, _get out of here, Stalker._

* * *

On an ocean planet humans once called Despoina, a man emerged from the dark depths of the planet's endless waters. This man came out of the black depths of the sea, where he once spoke with ancient, disfigured gods, who hid in dark and secret sanctuaries for millions of years.

They call this man the _Gun Slinger,_ but to those who truly know him, he is the Marked One, cursed and chosen.

From out of the raging waters, he shot up to storm-filled clouds of the raging skies, his hands gripping strange artifacts whose powers are known only to his accursed kind. He then summoned to himself a swarm of small metal-like objects, and they surrounded him like he was their hive.

They flew around him, arranging themselves into a single structure. First, they formed the hull then the engine then the life support then the cockpit then the sensors and finally the rest of the ship. Despite all of the misfortunes that humanity suffered from the Zone, the species retained much of its ingenuity, and here was one more proof of it.

It took the little drone-like devices only a few more minutes to complete their transformation into a complete cone-shaped star faring vessel, and inside, covered by the dim internal lights of his vessel's controls, the man – the Marked One – indulged many brooding thoughts, several thousands of years in the making. But one thought in particular - one man in particular - occupied the center of his worries.

"Why did you do it, Shepard?" he muttered the question, like a curse.

Strelok's face appeared like a brooding mask, as his face's features caught the harsh light of his cockpit's photo-neural interface. "Why did you listen to the Zone and walk out into that _Emission_? Now, I've got more shit to take care of."

Higher and higher the cone vessel flew until at last, it disappeared from Despoina's skies.

* * *

Within the bridge of the KVS _Nor_ , Spectre Urdnot Wrex watched as the battered image of the _Opportunity Cost_ , the late Edan Had'dah's personal ship, limped away from his own vessel, followed by the smaller but heavily armed Salatrian vessel, the _Librarian_. Both were heavily damaged, with signs of heavy weapons fire on their surfaces. They were now a few thousands kilometers away from Wrex's own cruiser, but were still firing a few salvos at it, tempting it to pursue them.

"Damage report," Wrex demanded.

"Modules 6 and 15 report minor hull breaches," his second in command reported, "and our third GARDIAN is offline, but aside from that, we're good."

Wrex grunted in affirmative before returning his attention to the fleeing vessels on his screen, and walking to the center of his bridge (a relatively rugged if somewhat heavily decorated space filled with the latest military equipment Citadel space had to offer) to get a better view. When the _Nor_ scored another hit on the _Opportunity Cost,_ Wrex knew that the enemy vessels were no longer a threat, which meant that Haddah and Xunyon's men were now cut off... for now at least.

"Sir!" Wrex's second in command, another battle-scarred Krogan with a fading blue hump, uttered the word as an unspoken question: _Should we pursue?_

"Let them go," he said calmly.

"Sir! They could still..."

"I said let them go! They're trying to lure us away. We need to put the pressure on Xunyon and Had'dah's men down there, clear the way for our transports to land. That's all that matters."

"Only Xunyon now sir," the comms officer corrected, a purple skinned Asari with youthful features and a sharp voice, interrupted and pointed at the planet on the bridge's screen. "A message from down there says that Had'dah's dead."

"Killed by Xunyon most likely," Wrex said, nodding his head, his face appearing to be grimmer thanks to the harsh orange light from holo-screens. "Have you confirmed this?"

The Asari nodded. "We got it from a looped broadcast. It's choppy, but apparently our target wanted everyone to know that she was in charge now."

"That makes our job a whole lot easier," Wrex said with a chuckle, but deep inside, he was a little scared. If Xunyon was willing to announce her presence so openly, where she once guarded it so zealously, that could only mean that she was no longer concerned about secrecy or subtlety. She was willing to put everything on the line now, and Wrex knew from professional experience that such behavior from Salarians usually meant bad things were going to happen.

"Well?" Wrex asked, turning to his chief gunner, a younger Krogan with a midnight black hump.

"Our targeting computers still can't get a lock on the surface. The atmosphere is just too messed up. Sorry, sir, but whatever's down there is making life very difficult for our scanners. We can drop a few more sensor probes if you want, sir, but I don't think they would do us any good."

Wrex looked at his gunner intently, willing him to give him _something. Anything._ But the officer could only shake his head in dismay. There was nothing he could do. Wrex turned back to his controls and slammed his fist. He only had a few ground troops inside the Nor to complete his operations, and he knew for a fact that they would be outnumbered once they reached the ground. So without orbital support to soften the ground troops, there's no doubt in Wrex's mind that his mission will end in failure.

He could just drop a few rounds on the surface, of course. Kill everyone down there, including Xunyon, but there were hostages down there also, not to mention countless archeological artifacts from the digsite. No, he couldn't just bomb them all to oblivion.

 _Why does fate have to make my life so difficult?_

"Marot," Wrex called out to his scarred second in command. "What do you think?"

The older Krogan did not hesitate. "I say we crush their ships first. Without them, we could take care of those left on the ground at our leisure."

"Excuse me, Commander Marot." the Asari comms officer interrupted then she looked Wrex straight in the eye. Ensign Nalat was her name, and she was the cautious and highly organized type.

"Ensign! You will refrain from..." Marot tried to interrupt her.

"Let her speak, Commander," Wrex ordered, and Marot could do nothing but keep quiet.

Nalat looked from one Krogan to the other, from blue hump to red, before mentally scolding herself for talking out of place... a very recent bad habit that she had developed while working with Krogans. "Sir! I don't think that would be wise to pursue the ships. Everyone here knows that they could outrun us, and I have no doubt that that's what their captains want us to do." She paused to weigh her next words carefully. "And to make matters worse, we still know very little about this part of the galaxy. Even with the data we got from the Turians..."

"Turians, ensign?" Wrex said the word, like a harsh warning. As a Spectre, Wrex had a lot of contacts in the relatively anti-Citadel Hierarchy, contacts who owed him favors and contacts who enjoyed bribes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

To her credit, the Asari quickly corrected herself. "Even with the data we got from the Terminus, there's still no telling what's out there. Our cruiser is not designed for..."

"Are you afraid, ensign?" Commander Marot suddenly and brusquely interrupted. "Is that it? Are you afraid of the _Stakar_?"

"Sir!" Nalat did not rise to his bait, but instead kept her poise. "We still don't know for sure what attacked the Turian fleet that emerged from 314. For all we know, Dalatrass Xunyon could have hired an entire fleet of mercenaries to rescue her..."

"Oh! So you are afraid of the 'Stakar?' Well then," Marot answered mockingly, and Wrex saw his comms officer's skin turn into a bright shade of purple. "Maybe, you should lead us in prayer or two, so that the Great Old Ones will help us complete our mission.

"That's enough!" Wrex snapped and turned back to his command console. "I asked for opinions. Not bickering. Anyone else? Good. You all did well, but we still have a long way to go. Our target is somewhere down on that planet, along with the hostages. Our mission will not end until we have them in our custody."

Wrex had pursued Had'dah on the orders of the Citadel Council itself (and the Krogan councillor, Urdnot Jarrod in particular), who feared that the Batarian's secret expedition into unexplored "Stokar" space will ignite a political incident that will destroy the fragile peace between the Council and the Palaven Pact nations.

Even then the Councillors knew that Had'dah was just a puppet, that someone was pulling his strings behind the shadow, and Wrex's job was to expose the entire conspiracy, and more importantly, to learn what they knew about "Stokar" space which lay hidden behind Relay 314. The fact that the Hierarchy had already out probes to that area of space, and that this area of space sat close to Hierarchy's borders, meant that the Turians already had a lead on whatever's out there, and if their guess was true, which is that ancient Stokar planets held technological marvels that rivaled the works of the Protheans, then the Citadel Council needed every secret and leverage they could get their hands on to if they want those secrets for themselves.

Wrex appreciated this fact better than most people he knew. Years of working as a Specter had taught him a lot of important lessons, and one of the most important ones is that you don't always need to be smarter than your enemy. You just need to be one step ahead of them.

 _Now then,_ Wrex ruminated. _Nalat is right. There's something out there, but there's something down there too._ He looked at the images of the planet surface with a sense of dread. _There's something wrong about them. And it's not just the planet. There's something wrong with this entire system. No, this entire part of the galaxy. Dammit Wrex! Stop it! Focus. Now, what's it gonna be? Attack the planet now or pursue the retreating ships?_

Spectre Urdnot Wrex tried to wrack his mind for answers. He was usually so decisive, but all he could think of was the feeling of dread and danger that seemed to be closing in on him on every side.

"Sir!" Nalat's voice interrupted Wrex's thoughts, forcing him to focus on his comms officer who only earlier was having a fight with his second in command.

"I just got a message from the planet."

"Who?" Wrex growled.

"A Turian," the officer said half in fear, half in excitement, and everyone on the bridge became quiet.

"Send it to my private channel!" ordered Wrex, as he sat on the captain's chair.

The feed was extremely choppy but Wrex could make out the face of the Turian on the other end. Once he saw Wrex, the Turian did not waste any time mincing words.

"Are you in charge?" asked the flanged but heavily distorted voice of the Turian on the other side.

Wrex paused to consider the voice and make a guess. The large Turian fleet that had been sent to pacify Shanxi and apprehend Had'dah and Xunyon had been obliterated by an unidentified force. So it couldn't be them.

Mercenaries? No, Wrex knew mercenaries, even Turian mercenaries, and if the Turian on the other end was a Mercenary then he was Vorcha. That only left the recon team that had been sent in several days ago to scout the planet and sabotage any attempt by Had'dah's men to leave early.

 _He could work with that._

"Yes," Wrex answered finally after making up his mind on who was on the other side. "You're Nihlus Kryik?"

"How did you know that?"

"I know a lot of things," Wrex lied. He managed to buy a certain file with a certain list of names from a certain corrupt Turian officer. _Turians,_ Wrex thought ruefully. _So reliably corrupt. Is this one corrupt as well? We'll see._

Wrex then decided to bring up a sensitive subject, just to see how much the Turian knew. "Just so you know, the Citadel didn't attack your fleet."

"I know. I received a video feed before the fleet went dark."

"What feed?" Wrex asked suddenly surprised.

"I know a lot of things too," The Turian said smiling, knowing that Wrex had caught the bait. Wrex knew it too, but the Spectre also remembered that he was losing time.

"I don't have the time for games," the Spectre said grimly.

"Neither do I," the Turian answered with dignity. "I've been briefed about you, and I know that you're after what my me and I are after."

Wrex observed Nihlus carefully, trying to find out what he wants and more importantly, how he can manipulate him. "What's your price then?" he said flatly.

"I am nothing like the corrupt pieces of genetic trash that infest the Hierarchy," Nihlus snapped, barely controlling the rage in his voice, and Wrex, for his part, cursed himself for miscalculating. Apparently, Nihlus was a loyal and honest outlier to the stereotypically corrupt officers of the Hierarchy.

"I..." Nihlus paused, trying to get his temper in check. "Very well, here's what I'm proposing. I know your mission, and I know who you're looking for. I can help you get her alive, and in exchange, you help me and my men get off of this _Spirits-damned planet._ "

Wrex narrowed his eyes, and did his best to keep the joy out of his voice. "Your superiors won't like that."

"My superiors aren't dying on this shithole."

Wrex nodded his head, though the Turian's tone made him feel a bit uneasy. "How many men do you have?"

"Nine."

Wrex was aghast. The report he got from his contacts said that there were at least 25 on the Turian forward recon team.

"Nine?" Wrex said in a tone that implied he thought Nihlus was lying to him.

"Nine. 21 of my men died days ago."

"From Had'dah and Xunyon's hunting parties I presume?" Wrex said.

"You have no idea what this planet is like, Spectre," Nihlus answered bitterly, and mistaking Wrex's question as doubt, he added proudly, "I only have nine men, Spectre, but I assure that they can fight twice as hard as you Krogans."

Wrex did not believe him, but his options were running out and so he decided to clear his mind of doubts. "Location?"

"Two clicks from the Dalatrass' main camp," Nihlus answered, and realized that Wrex also needed a little help of his own. "And we have recon of most of the surounding area. In fact, we saw the Dalatrass and a large number of men enter one of the major digsites. If we act fast, we could catch them off guard."

"Can you send me the data?"

"I'll send you the data on their Drop Zone. You can get the rest when you land."

"Don't you trust me?" Wrex asked sardonically.

"No," Nihlus said flatly. "And another thing. The Salarian Dalatrass is holding one of our... operatives. We want him back."

Wrex considered this for a moment. "Who is this operative?"

"We want him back. That's all you need to know. I'm tired of talking, Spectre. So is it a deal or not?"

"Deal!" Wrex said without hesitation.

"Good, My men and I will..." Nihlus words were interrupted by something he saw. On the feed, Wrex saw Nihlus staring at the sky, while in the background the Turian's men were scrambling for shelter at whatever it is they saw. That was all Wrex saw before the already choppy feed broke off and was replaced by static.

"Nihlus! Nihlus!" Wrex was going to demand that the communications be reestablished, but then he saw that his own crew were having a little shock of their own.

"What are you-" Then he saw what the rest of his crew saw on their main screen; what the Turians on the surface of Shanxi must have seen.

"Goddess!" The comms officer muttered in terror at what she saw.

Shanxi's distant star, originally a bright yellow sun had suddenly, almost miraculously, turned bright black and began to emit a sickly dark light. It stood there, like a sick shining, dark ball in the gaping maw of space.

Everyone on the bridge was dumbfounded and paralyzed by fear. They stood wondering what sort of technology... or even sorcery could do such a thing.

Even Urdnot Wrex who tended to scoff on most forms of religious or superstitious ideas gaped in fear. This! This was simply impossible!

"Sir?" His Krogan second-in-command asked when he finally recovered from the shock, and his military discipline reasserted itself. Wrex looked at him with a grim face. "We're detecting a power spike."

"Where?"

"Everywhere!"

Wrex was going to issue orders, but a sudden explosion knocked him off his feet. The last he could remember were the screams of his crew and wailing cries of alarms. By the time he regained consciousness, he was inside an escape pod, with Nalat next to him, injured, along with two of his crew members, a Salarian and a Volus.

"Wha- What's going on?" Wrex asked in daze.

"I- I don't know," the Asari said through her fear, "One moment, everything was fine and then, the ship was attacked by some kind of energy _anomaly_. We barely had time to get to the escape pods."

"And Marot?" Wrex asked.

The Asari only shook her head and then her self-control broke and she exploded into semi-hysterical rantings, and the disciplined officer was reduced to a gibbering wreck. "Oh sweet merciful goddess. It's the Stakar. It has to be them. They're punishing us!"

* * *

AN: If you go back to all of the parts that say "This Section is Classified" in the timeline chapters, they all include information about Strelok and his antics.

Also, recall what Tarasov said to Shepard back in chapter 10. He wants Shepard to find Strelok and Degtyarev, which means that Tarasov knows what Strelok and Major Deg knows. A conspiracy of Stalkers.

Anuuu


	15. Chapter 15

This is part 1 of the final chapter. I will post part 2 in a few days, maybe tomorrow

* * *

They're monsters! It's the truth. I swear to you. It's the truth. Ask the other survivors. Liara and Wrex. They know.

Why can't any of you understand? They're monsters. They are real. I know they're real.

They live in that... that _Zone_ of theirs, and one day they will annihilate us all. Get away from me! Don't touch me! I know what I saw. They are a threat to all life in the galaxy. I said don't touch me.

One day, they will burst out into the galaxy and no power will be able to save Turian-kind from them. No, get away from me. I don't want any drugs. I don't want any. Get away. I don't want it. I'll fight back. No. Please! Listen to me.

They will kill us all. The Zone will swallow up the whole galaxy!

\- Saren Arterius, interrogation report #1443-88

* * *

C-Con Node 27A: Psi-Uplink Complete  
LogIN accepted  
Data Stream Secure

 _Has any of this been confirmed?_

 _Yes, most of it._

 _Go through it again for me, please._

 _Of course, sir. About two standard weeks ago, an unidentified Batarian ship emerged from "relay 314" and shortly thereafter arrived in Shanxi's orbit using conventional Mass Effect Drives. This vessel then deployed several transports to land unto the planet's surface before starting excavations around the vicinity of an abandoned Second Great War era starport._

 _From what we've gathered, they were apparently trying to loot the local junk, no doubt considering it treasure._

 _Treasure indeed._

 _I chuckled too when I heard._

 _Why haven't the scanners detected them?_

 _With all due respect, sir, Shanxi's scanners were designed to detect Reaper and Monolith Energy FTL signatures. They were not meant to detect mass effect drives, let alone relatively small vessels._

 _And the Stalkers on Shanxi? What are they doing?_

 _We haven't got any message from the locals in Shanxi, sir, but considering that... Well, you know what they're like._

 _All too well. A mixed group of Batarians and Krogans arrive on Shanxi to loot the local junk, and the Stalkers decide to take care of the problem on their own._

 _You and I both know what Stalkers think of us._

 _Sigh... At least tell me they tried to drive them away._

 _They did,. They removed the influence of the local C-Consciousness on the main Batarian camp site as soon as their leader refused to comply with their order to leave. The plan would have worked too, but..._

 _But what?_

 _But a few days after they removed C-Con influence, a Salarian ship arrived, and it had Null Field Generators._

 _Are you sure?_

 _Not yet sir, but I'm prepared to bet on it. It fits perfectly with the situation._

 _Anderson, if this is true... That can only mean... What do we know of this Salarian ship?_

 _At the moment, nothing. However, I already have a team heading at best speed for Shanxi, but I doubt they would be able to make it on time._

 _Does Lukash or Voronin know any of this?_

 _It would be safe to assume that they do sir. Freedom and Duty will probably try to pursue their own line of inquiries. As for the_ Ecologists _well, who knows what those mad scientists are thinking._

 _Nothing good most likely. This is a mess. David, I want you to move fast on this. Do everything you can to get this situation under control. Work with Freedom and Duty if you have to. Share information if you have to, but only if you have to. If the Monolith are behind this..._

 _Sir, we don't know if the Monolith are involved._

 _Who else could it be?! Who else could have Null Fields Generator technology?_

 _It's also possible that the Reapers may be abroad again, and these smugglers from Citadel space may be indoctrinated._

 _That's one possibility. How sure are about any of this, David?_

 _They are all just theories at the moment, I'm afraid._

 _And I don't like the implications of those theories. The more I hear about this, the more I wish..._

 _That's not our only problem sir. As you know, we have detected several Turian probes from 314 in the past few years, and we also know that the Turian government – this Hierarchy – considers the area around 314 to be under their sphere of influence._

 _Get to the point, David!_

 _Well, about a week after the Batarian arrived, the Turians sent a fleet of their own through the relay, most likely to intercept the Batarian and Salarian ships over Shanxi, no doubt because they didn't want the smugglers trespassing on their 'property.'_

 _And?!_

 _And something big at the edge of the Zone destroyed the Turian fleet. Wiped them all out. Scans indicate that it may have been a_ Star Fortress _?_

 _'May have been' is not good enough._

 _I know sir, but that's all we have for now. The only remnants of the Turian attack force are a forward recon team on Shanxi that was supposed to move ahead of the main assult force. So aside from the Salarians, the Batarians, and a few Krogan mercenaries, we may also have to worry about a few Turian stragglers._

 _David, why didn't you bring up any of this Turian mess earlier?_

 _Excuse me, sir, but there's just too much information to deal with, and there's more._

 _Of course, there's more!_

 _Yes, there's also a Citadel vessel over Shanxi. It managed to evade whatever attacked the Turian fleet and it has already reached Shanxi's orbit._

 _How old is this information with this Citadel ship?_

 _About a few hours old, sir, and the situation is still developing. We believe that whatever got the Turian fleet may not have detected the Citadel ship. We're still looking into it._

 _Very well. So let me see if I got this straight, aside from the smugglers and the mercenaries, we are also dealing with a small group of Turian special forces, an unidentified "Citadel" ship and potentially, a Monolith Star Fortress... and they all seem to be fighting over the junk on Shanxi's surface? And somehow, one of them has access to Null Field technology? Is that right?_

 _That's more or less the case from what we've managed to gather, sir, but it's possible that they are not fighting over just ordinary junk. Steven, they- The smugglers – the Salarians and the Batarians – they found one of the Reaper vaults._

 _How!?_

 _I don't know! It's still just a rumor at this point-_

 _Neither you nor I believe in coincidences, David. So please spare me the skeptical act._

 _In that case, sir, then I think you and I both know what that means._

 _sigh Very well, send a fleet in._

 _It may be too late for that._

 _Send it anyway. If Freedom and Duty want to join in, tell them, they are invited. Do whatever you can to keep this mess from getting worse. And David, whoever's behind this, they caught us off guard. This stinks of a conspiracy. I'll go meet with the other factions to discuss this. Take care of this. Do whatever it takes. This incursion could anger the Zone, and that's the last thing we need._

 _Yes sir._

 _And I want to know what the hell is going on as soon as possible._

 _Yes sir._

 _Oh, and David... Shanxi is where Shepard is staying. If he's involved in whatever the hell is going on here..._

 _I'll take care of it, sir._

 _Good._

* * *

Wrex's mind whirled in confusion and terror. He woke up to find himself lying on a grassy hill. Above, Shanxi's dark, red demonic sky appeared like the end of all things, and next to him was the hulking, twisted wrecks of several escape pods. His innate sense of leadership, and Spectre's instincts told him that this was a good thing. All or most of the survivors had made it to the rally point, wherever that was. The truth was that Wrex couldn't focus his mind. One moment, he had been inside the safety of his ship, pursuing two enemy vessels, and then...

And then... All hell broke loose. Some kind of energy phenomenon suddenly covered the entire star system, and before he could respond or call for a retreat, Wrex's ship was gone, along with a sizeable proportion of his crew.

 _Abandon ship! Abandon ship!_

One moment there, and then no more.

He remembered fire, screams and the frantic run for the life boats and escape pods, but little else after that. His head kept spinning in pain, as he tried to focus his senses, or recall what had happened. He heard someone – another surviving crew member - tell him that only about a tenth of the lifeboats made it through, but he couldn't tell who. He couldn't remember which. The smuggler vessels that they were pursuing; those had disappeared too, he remember, most likely destroyed by the same phenomenon that destroyed his own ship.

As he regained more of his wits, Wrex saw that his crew were desperately trying to hold the hill where most their escape pods had landed. The sound of weapons fire and the taste of blood inspired a frenzied terror in Wrex, but he ruthlessly pushed it down and called out for his crew.

"Where are we!?" He screamed to one his surviving crewmembers, as he got to his feet. "Where in the name of Kalros are we!" He grabbed another Krogan snarling.

"I don't know sir!" came the hoarse response.

"Did any other escape pods make it?" Wrex asked the nearest officer he could find.

"No sir," came the response. "Everyone who survived is right here. We have confirmation that..." The words were interrupted by a scream of "Incoming!"

Wrex and his crew quickly reacted to the warning, and they brought up their weapons in time to meet the new threat. A swarm of attacking monstrosities poured out from the nearby crevices, the and bushes that surrounded the hill.

The creatures ranged from small rodent-like vermin, to massive monstrosities that towered over Wrex himself. They rushed up towards Wrex's defensive position without care or regard for their own safety, as if driven by some primal urge to rend and destroy.

Wrex ordered his crew to concentrate fire on this new threat, and most of the creatures were viciously cut down. However, they did not retreat, nor did they even slow down, and when the survivors leapt at Wrex's crew, digging their teeth and claws into the hardsuits and mass effect fields in a futile attempt to kill and maim.

More weapons fire and the creatures' suicide attack failed. None of the attacking monsters survived, but a couple of Wrex's crew had died from the suicidal attack, and more were injured.

As Wrex surveyed the area, he soon discovered that his crew had been fighting wave after wave of attacking monsters while he was unconscious. Bodies of strange animals, both huge and small littered the foot of the hill where his crew made their stand.

"Nalat" Wrex called out to his Asari officer. "Where's Nalat?"

"Here sir!" The Asari saluted him in the Krogan fashion, her face filled with bruises and repressed fear.

"Where are we!?" He demanded. "How many of us survived?"

"We're in hell, sir," she replied in sarcastic madness.

"Nalat!" he snarled at her, and it did the trick. Discipline defeated madness.

"Sir! Nihlus sir – the Turian. He gave... When you were unconscious, he sent us coordinates to guide our escape pods to this position. He said it was the safest area."

"You call this safe!" Wrex pointed at the pile of bodies at the foot of the hill.

"He said something about emissions and anomalies. I don't know what he's talking about. Sir, I... I... ah," Wrex did not pursue any other questions. It was clear that Nalat was terrified, and there was really no point in pushing her. Wrex looked around him, and saw that his surviving crew were also terrified and near the breaking point. He had to act fast.

Just as soon as he began to formulate a new plan, loud screams erupted from the nearby trees and crevices, and he knew that another wave was incoming.

"Weapons!" Wrex snarled, and his crew braced themselves for another wave. Some climbed on top of the escape pods, while the rest crouched low and set up barricades as quickly as they could.

"Steady." Wrex ordered, as the first of the new wave of fanged monstrosities erupted from the trees. "Steady."

Before Wrex and his men could fire on the fresh wave of mutated monsters, though, an explosion rocked the trees where the creatures were emerging. This was followed by more explosions, and then by weapons fire from some concealed position beyond their line of sight.

And with that, the new wave of attack was stopped before it even began.

From the trees, however, emerged several bipedal figures. These were not monsters, though, for they clearly wore what appeared to be hardsuits.

"Turians!" One of Wrex's crew reported. "They're Turians!"

"Hold your fire!" Wrex roared, and repeated it even louder when some of his crew began to point their weapons at the newcomers. "I said hold fire! Kalros' blood! Are you too stupid to understand an order? Hold fire."

Wrex then took a moment to check on his crew. Many were injured, but there were also a few who had died. These unlucky ones were literally torn to shreds during the earlier waves of attack from this _cursed_ planet's fauna. He estimated that only about 40 of his crewmembers were still capable of fighting. Not a lot, and not enough. He tried not to think of all those who had died.

"Hold your fire!" the Turian yelled at them, as he ran towards their lines. "Hold your spirits damned fire!"

The Turian looked at the faces of the Citadel soldiers – Wrex's crew and marines. It was not hard for him to pick Wrex out from among the group. He was the toughest looking, if not the largest among the Krogan.

"Urdnot Wrex?!" The Turian commando asked.

Wrex nodded in reply, and added, "Thanks for the help back there."

"If it were up to me, Spectre," the Turian said, "I'd leave the lot of you to die."

Wrex nodded his head in amusement. "Well then. I'm glad you're not in charge."

But the Turian didn't take the bait. "Lieutenant Vataris. Commander Kryik sent me. I have orders to lead you and your men back to the rally point. "

"What rally point?! I thought this was the rally point." Wrex yelled back at him, through the deafening sounds of the battlefield.

"This is just your landing zone. The real rally point is at one of the Null Field Projectors. Commander Kryik managed to capture one. We can hold our position there."

"What in the name of Tuchanka is a Null Field Projector."

Vataris' face twisted in anger. Already the _local wildlife_ were making another push on their position. He did not come here to answer questions. "It's complicated. They're devices that the renegade _Dalatrass_ has managed to smuggle onto this planet. The mutants and anomalies can't seem to penetrate their radius. That's all I know. Now, come on!"

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Urdnot asked cautiously as some of his men began to follow the Turian messenger.

The Turian did not bother to hide his distate for the Spectre or his Citadel troops. "You want to stay here? Be my guest, but if any of you want to live through this then you and your people better follow me!"

Wrex and Vataris' conversation was interrupted by a pouncing creature that nearly took off the Turian's head had it not been shot down by one Wrex's surviving crewmates.

"Spirits! I hate this place!" Then he looked at Wrex in anger. "Are you coming or not?!"

Wrex considered his options carefully, and he decided that he had nothing to lose.

"Lead on," he ordered.

Vataris gestured for Wrex and his men to follow, and caustiously but methodically to Nihlus Kryik's camp.

* * *

"Spectre Urdnot," Nihlus Kryik greeted Wrex as he and the bulk of his surviving men passed through the protective screen of the _Null Field_ into Nihlus Kryik's makeshift camp, a series of ammo crates and medical supplies organized around a strange, alien looking structure that Wrex guessed was the Null Field Projector _._

The camp was also defended by several heavily armed Turians carrying mostly captured gear. And as it turned out, Vataris said was true. There were no attacking monsters or mutants nearby nor any signs of anomalies. It seemed that the alien device did emit some kind of energy that drove away the local fauna.

Wrex nodded in response. "I hear you fed us the coordinates for our landing Zone. Guess I owe you one."

"Save it. I'm helping you because I want you to help me," Nihlus said, his flanged face seemed tired and desperate.

"Xunyon," Wrex said impassively. "You still want to grab her?"

"Yes," Nihlus answered then added with certainty, "She knows a way off this planet."

"Her ships are gone. How do you know that?"

Nihlus indicated the bloody, tortured corpse of a Salarian a little further away from the camp.

"I see," Wrex said.

"Look here." Nihlus opened a map on his Omni-Tool, and it displayed a line of dots that lead from Xunyon's landing zone to the Edan Had'dah's excavation site.

"These dots are Null Field Projectors," Nihlus said. "They seem to emit some kind of energy that blocks out all the strange shit on this planet, including emissions."

"Emissions?"

"The phenomenon that destroyed your ship, Spectre. Those are emissions. Massive bursts of energy that destroy or kill most things in their path. They're usually localized, and until recently, I thought they only seem to happen planet side. I never thought they could cover an entire system."

"Seems you're wrong."

"It seems so," the Turian agreed. "The emission has subsided now, but there's no telling when another one will hit." Nihlus pointed at Shanxi's sun, which was still black.

"If these emissions are so powerful, how did you or your men survive them."

"We know how to find shelters. Caves, ravines and anything else deep enough to hide in. We found one and dug deep."

Wrex looked at Nihlus' men, and saw the weariness on their faces. There were still nine of them plus Nihlus, but he could also sense that they were close to their breaking point.

As if sensing his thoughts, Nihlus said, "Emissions seem to happen periodically on Shanxi. My men and I have experienced them first hand; them and many other dangers. I don't know how the _Shakari_ created them, nor do I understand the technology that has allowed them to manipulate reality, but they are a fact of life on this planet." He paused then stared grimly into Wrex's eyes. "The one that got your ship, though, Spectre... That was the worst; the biggest. As I've said, it covered the entire system..."

Wrex nodded, getting the gist of his thoughts. "All except for the areas covered by these projectors."

"Right. Several hours ago, while you were engaging her ships, Xunyon and a large group of her bodyguards entered an underground vault." Nihlus showed Wrex the excavation site, along with details of an underground area.

"Why?" Wrex demanded.

"I don't know. Before she went down, though, Xunyon deployed a dozen of these projectors close to her camp. When we found out what they were, and what they did, we attacked them. We took out the one on the landing site first. Hit and run tactics. High Explosive rounds at maximum range. Our plan was to destroy or expel Xunyon from these strategic points. The Krogan mercs never saw us coming. That deprived Xunyon of her base." Nihlus paused to give Wrex time to digest what he said.

"We launched our next raids, and one by one, we managed to destroy the other projectors. We attacked them here and here and here. Our last raid took took place here." Nihlus pointed at the projectors closest to excavation site. "We even managed to capture one of her bodyguards." Nihlus pointed at the dead Salarian again.

Wrex smiled; impressed. "That couldn't have been easy."

"My men and I are the best," Nihlus said proudly.

"The monsters on this planet," Wrex said ominously, suddenly changing the topic. "They're not natural."

"Nothing about this planet is natural, Spectre, but as I was saying, before the emission erupted, we managed to destroy most of Xunyon's Projectors, thus eliminating her primary protection against the Zone. Once we got rid of those towers, Xunyon's men are cut down by hoards of monsters."

"The only projectors left are here," Nihlus indicated their camp's Null Field Projector. "And here." His Omni-Tool indicated a glowing red dot close to the Excavation site.

Wrex managed to read between the lines. "You've outmaneuvered and cornered Xunyon, but you can't take her remaining forces head on. They outnumber you, so you need us to go in with you for the final push."

Nihlus pretended not to hear Wrex's analysis. His military pride demanded that he ignore it, so he continued. "We are here." Nihlus pointed at one of the two glowing points on his Omni-Tool's map, and then moved his finger further along the map. "Xunyon and her men are here. They haven't moved from their position yet, and from what we've learned from our _guest,_ " he pointed at the Salarian corpse, _"_ they are waiting for someone to come pick them up."

"He may have been lying," Wrex commented.

"Maybe, Spectre. Maybe, but before he died, the Salarian gave me a name. _Ser-b'rus_. Does that name mean anything to you?"

Wrex shook his head.

Nihlus seemed disappointed, but Wrex couldn't tell for sure. "Well, either way," he said. "I want to know who or what Ser-b'rus is, and more importantly, I want my men off this rock. So now, we're done talking. Now, we're going to attack, and I want you and your men to help us capture Xunyon. She's been there for hours; her and the two captured xenoarcheologists. That's why you're here, right? We have the same mission. Whatever's down there is extremely important probably for a lot of powerful people. If someone comes to rescue her, we ransom her or whatever's down there for a ride off this rock. Nothing else matters to me."

"And if no one comes?" Wrex asked, and he could feel his own men tense.

"Then we dig in and wait for a rescue. We can hide in the vault, or we can fortify the Null Field Projectors after we kill Xunyon's men. We can survive, and then we wait for the Citadel, the Hierarchy. Anyone. As long as they can get us off this rock. I don't care." Nihlus suddenly seemed hysterical. "I don't want to die here. Please, Spectre." The plea was said like a threat.

Wrex's scarred Krogan features looked grimmer amidst the destruction around them. He snorted with amusement, though it sounded more like growl. "That's a good a plan as any, I suppose," he said with a sigh. Wrex ultimately knew what he needed to do, not only for the mission but also for his surviving crew. "We're in, and for your sake, let's hope you're right."

"Me too, Spectre. I pray to the Spirits that I'm right."


	16. Chapter 16

Part 2 of the last chapter of Part 1 of Anomalous Effect

* * *

They came to Thessia 38,000 years ago to save our ancestors from the demons. We thought they had all disappeared, and yet they remain; beyond relay 314, sleeping under the shadow of the Zone, waiting for the return of their enemies. We call them Sta'kars, creatures of light and wisdom, kindred of the gods, but I know their true name: They call themselves Humans.

And they have taught me the truth about our galaxies, about the lurking fear in the darkness; waiting and brooding for the time of the Great Harvest.

\- Liara T'soni.

* * *

Liara shook her head, as her mind began to focus again.

The last thing she could remember was the explosion, and before that, the overwhelming relief that they were being rescued. This was shortly before they were about to leave the terrifying darkness of the "Reaper" vault, when one of Xunyon's men came to them, told them about attacking Citadel troops.

 _Were they being rescued?_

Then she remembered Xunyon's strange stone; a _Mind Beacon a_ rtifact, she called it. Xunyon used the artifact like a communication device, speaking to some unseen presence in a language that neither she nor anyone else understood.

She remembered looking to her mentor, Sokun, for answers but he was as clueless as she was, and before either of them could utter a question, Xunyon had viciously snarled at all of them to follow her out of the dark tunnels of the digsite, and back to the hellish terrors of the world outside.

After that, Liara remembered entering a transport amidst weapons fire, and she recalled the panicked voices of mercenaries, screaming about how they were under attack from all sides. She remembered huddling inside the Tomkah, praying to Athame that the nightmare would end.

But it did not end.

Before the Tomkah could even start moving, it was hit by an anti-tank weapon. Several screams and explosions later, and Liara now found herself crawling through corpses and filth, her clothes torn and her eyes blurry. She and everyone else were now surrounded from all sides, unable to move from the suppressive fire being directed in their direction.

The whirling nausea worsened, and Liara did her best to focus her mind, but the only thing she could do was to focus on Xunyon, who along with her guards, now hid behind whatever cover they could find. Liara's pain-filled mind wandered to the Dalatrass' strange horns, her aged grey skin, her dark, orb-like eyes. Liara had met many Salarian throughout her life, not the least of which her own mentor, Mura Sokun, but suddenly, she felt something was off about the Dalatrass, something unusual. And the strange thing about it was that this strangness reminded her of the terrible, sleeping machines in the vault, the Reapers.

"What do you mean they destroyed the other Projectors?" She heard Xunyon's snarl.

"There was an emission," an angry Krogan mercenary – one of Hailut Vog's men - answered through the chaos and the noise. "It covered the entire system. Anomalies popped up everywhere. They attacked before and after that, using the chaos to their advantage."

"I don't want excuses!" It was Xunyon again. "You were supposed to protect the Projectors until we were finished, and now we're stuck here."

"Screw your Projectors. How are we going to leave this planet?!" the angry Krogan asked hysterically.

"Someone will come pick us up," Xunyon said imperiously then made some demanding questions of her own. "Where's Rael' Zorah? Where is the Quarian?"

"I'm here. Over here. Help me. My suit. My suit is damaged."

"You! Help him. What about Saren Arterius? Did he survive?"

"We can't find him Dalatrass. He's probably dead."

"Be certain. You, and you. Defend that flank. Tighten this position. Our rescue will arrive in a few minutes."

"Look around you!" Another Krogan voice snarled. "How can anyone rescue us through all this?!"

Dalatrass Xunyon's answer was blocked out by the sound of more explosions.

"Help..." Liara gasped. "Help me."

She felt strong familiar hands lift her up and dragged her behind some cover, close to Xunyon and her own men. She turned to find Mura Sokun's tired Salarian face bleeding profusely on the left side.

He smiled down at her.

"You're hurt," she said quietly, indicating his wound.

"Just a scratch. I'll survive," Sokun replied, and did his best to dress Liara's wounds. She was losing a lot of blood, and it was clear that she was losing consciousness. His hands sought out the source of the injury and found it below her right breast, where something had penetrated.

"Stay with me, Liara. Please stay with me," he pleaded.

But she didn't answer. She wasn't sure if she was still dreaming or if she had gone completely mad, for what she saw terrified and awed her at the same time. In the distance, Shanxi's sun had somehow miraculously undergone an eclipse, but she had seen plenty of those before on many planets all across the galaxy. She didn't notice it before, but now, lying on her back, she saw it clearly, and something within her reveled at its terrible beauty.

"That is no eclipse," Liara pointed at the Blackened Sun and the eerie light that came from it. Though the emission had subsided more than an hour ago, many of its effects still lingered.

"No," Sokun said gently. "No, it isn't." He then added, "Listen Liara. I don't know what's going on, but Xunyon is under attack from Citadel forces. You hear me? Citadel forces! They're trying to rescue us, Liara. They came while we were in the vault. The Citadel is going to rescue us. Stay with me! Stay with me, girl!"

 _Girl?_ _I'm older than you!_ Liara wanted to say. Explosions and weapons fire continued to erupt all around them, draining away whatever hope they may have had of escape or survival.

Liara felt another explosion close by, and instinctively raised an arm to protect herself. Again, she felt Sokun lift her up by the shoulder and help her run towards the burning wreck of the Tomkah, a little further away from Xunyon and her men, who were the main targets of the attackers, but still within speaking distance.

"Survivors?" Xunyon voice was still recognizable through the conflict "I want to know if there are any survivors from the ships. Did any of their escape pods make it?"

"No, none from our own or Had'dah's commandeered ship. We're still trying our emergency frequencies, but I doubt we'll have any success." A Salarian bodyguard gestured at the hell around them.

Sokun took this chance to ask his own question. "If the ships are gone then how are we going to leave this place?" He asked pensively at Xunyon.

Xunyon chuckled amiably at the question that everyone seemed to be repeating. "Someone will come pick us up," she answered flippantly, as though annoyed, then added, "If we can last long enough."

"Perhaps we can negotiate with them," Liara heard a Krogan voice asked loudly, to compete with the weapons fire nearby.

Xunyon's voice was drowned out by another large explosion.

"What's going on?" Liara asked Sokun, "Please tell me... what's going on?"

"Incoming!" A Salarian bodyguard screamed. "Protect the Dalatrass. Protect her at all cost."

What followed was a vicious melee, as Wrex's surviving crew and Nihlus' commandos rushed forward, and assaulted Xunyon's bodyguards and Vog's mercenaries. Amidst this battle, Liara and Sokun cowered in the debris, trying their best to avoid the conflict. They were soon joined by Rael'Zorah, who blindly crawled towards even as he tried to cover a torn section of his suit's lower torso with his hands.

"Protect the Dalatrass! Argghhh!" One of the Salarians screamed.

Liara tried to look for the officer in charge of the Citadel forces, and she found it in the form of a large, heavily scarred Krogan, who slaughtered his way through mercenaries and bodyguards. Liara tried to call out to him, as if to scream, "We're here. Over here. Help us!" but Sokun stopped her lest they get involved in the fighting.

Liara's call for help didn't matter, though, because neither Wrex nor Nihlus were interested in rescuing them at the moment. For now, their main goal was to apprehend Xunyon, and put an end to her plans. They led their forces into Xunyon's battleline, pushing hard through the makeshift barricades, and taking cover with whatever cover they could find.

"Check your fire," Wrex ordered to his crew members, a mixture of mostly Krogan and Asari survivors. "Watch out for hostages, and be careful not to hit the Projector."

The battle continued for a few more minutes, until it was interrupted by the familiar voice of the Krogan mercenary Hailut Vog, and then the noise and weapons turned into a hush silence, interrupted only by the distant, eerie noises of the Zone.

"Enough!" Vog roared so that everyone could hear him, but it was no idle gesture, for he know held Xunyon's neck with his right hand, and a pistol pointed at her head with the other. He was covered in blood and dirt, and his desperation made him look more like an escaped criminal than a mercenary. He tightened his grip on his hostage, as he called his surviving mercenaries to him, and screen him from the Salarians who were now pointing their weapons at him.

Very quickly, the surviving Krogan mercenaries gathered around Vog, to screen their leader, weapons primed and ready. "I said enough! Make another move and I will try a little brain surgery on this Salarian bitch."

"Vog!" Xunyon hissed, incensed at his (admittedly inevitable) trechery. "Let me go! Now!"

"Shut up!" Vog snarled. "You promised to get me off this planet. You lied. I am no one's fool." Then he turned to Wrex and Nihlus, who also ordered their men to ceasefire. Xunyon's surviving body guards did the same as well, unwilling to risk their Dalatrass' life in any foolhardy act.

"You!" He said to Wrex in particular. "I want to make a deal."

Wrex didn't answer, but looked at Nihlus for his own input. The Turian, however, remained quiet. They had both of anticipated the possibility of Hailut Vog – a Krogan mercenary – turning on Xunyon, but not like this. He was supposed to be a professional, and professionals betrayed efficiently; not like desperate kidnappers. There was something mad in the merc; something hysterical and irrational. Wrex looked at his men, and realized that they too were just as unhinged, like they would go berzerk any minute now.

"This bitch. She's behind everything. Edan Had'dah, the abductions, the bribes, the conspiracies. She's behind it all. Promise me and my men our freedom, and she's yours."

"You pile of..." Xunyon hissed.

"Shut up!" Vog snarled at her, and tightened his grip.

"And if we refuse?" Wrex asked.

"Don't play games with me, Spectre. We are in the ass end of hell. All I want is that you help me and my men off of this planet. Promise me that and I will give you this bitch. You can trust me. I just want to survive. Do we have a deal?"

 _Trust you?_ Wrex wanted to laugh. He looked at Nihlus but the Turian only had a look of disgust on his face.

Wrex was about to answer, but the sound of his voice was drowned out by the sudden howl of a massive black sphere, appearing just outside the borders of the Null Field Projector. Weapons were raised and then fearfully pointed at this strange new anomaly. However, the combatants were too bewildered to react to this new development.

And then they appeared. They looked like glowing beings of light, burning with energy. Around their forms were glowing _artifacts_ , orbiting them in the same way planets circled a sun. This light was also strange, for it shimmered and twisted as if alive, and as the newcomers came closer, Liara felt a sense of dread creeping upon her, as if her primordial cells were telling her that such creatures should not exist.

Their bodies, though visible, looked like shadows at the center of the light, bipedal and eerily similar to the Asari, Quarian or Salarian form, but also different. Everything about them was light and power, except for their faces, which were covered by dome helmets, such that they appeared like faceless, burning ghosts emerging from the place of death beyond the limits of the physical realm.

These were the Stalkers. No, the Humans, Liara thought.

One by one, they emerged from the glowing black orb until more than a dozen were present.

"Sta'kar," some of Wrex's Asari crewmembers mumbled.

"Shakari," muttered Nihlus.

"Sa'kar," whispered Rael'Zorah.

"Stokar," Sokun muttered, as blood continued to pour out from his head wound.

There can be no excuses now; no arguments about malfunctioning V.I. or automated defense systems or genetic descendants. Here they were in all their fury. And as they came closer and closer, the survivors – Wrex's Citadel crew, Nihlus' Turian commandos, Xunyon's Salarian bodyguards and Vog's Krogan Mercenaries – all ceased their fighting and gaped in terror at the legends made real.

 _We warned you!_ The brightest of them accused, his thoughts directly entering their minds. _We told you to leave this planet!_

 _So this is going to be our last warning._ Another presence continued. _You will_ s _urrender. Now, or we will grind you into dust._

The luminous beings came closer, terrifying them into submission. Even the Krogans looked like they did not know what to do. One of them was filled with terror-induced madness, and he ran screaming at the _Humans_ , praying and spraying his weapon at them. He was followed by a few of his comrades.

The mad Krogans exploded into a shower of blood and organs.

 _Surrender! Now!_ They repeated.

 _Surrender._

"I will never surrender, my lords!" Xunyon shouted defiantly, even though Vog still had his gun to her head. "They are coming! Can't you feel them? They are here to rescue me, and take their prize!"

The _Humans_ did not fail to notice Xunyon, and for a moment, it seemed that they were surprised. They paused, and for a very brief moment, they seemed to tremble.

 _You!_ The _Human Light Beings_ telepathically screamed their accusations at Xunyon. _You're indoctrinated._

 _Indoctrinated!_ A second repeated, but this time, the word was filled with anger and fury.

"What are you talking about?" Vog demanded of Xunyon, asking the question that was on everyone's mind. "Who's coming?"

"They're heeeere!" Then Xunyon laughed hysterically, as if some strange miracle had been bestowed upon her.

Just as the Sta'kar were about to unleash their wrath, a great piercing silence engulfed the entire area, and a little further away, close to where Xunyon's bodyguards were entrenched, erupted a second bright, dark sphere. It whirled with an ominous power that was every bit as disorienting as the first one.

At first, Liara thought that the Sphere and the piercing silence were created by the Sta'kars, but they were backing away now, clearly as surprised by the new development as the rest of them.

The sudden appearance of this phenomenon seemed like another trick of the Zone, but that theory ended when several beings emerged from the sphere, their forms similar to the Stakar, except they were not covered in any strange, living light, but glowing cybernetic components.

Cyborgs!

 _These are also humans_ , Liara thought, _though different somehow_. She was confused now, and quite afraid.

Xunyon said that help was coming. Was this what she meant?

There was something very wrong about these new set of humans; something unnatural. There was a _silence_ about them, an emptiness. Their skins looked pale and dead, and they moved with a feral, unnatural speed that Liara found very disturbing.

Even more disturbing was how the un-augmented parts of their features were eerily similar to her own. The new arrivals looked like Asari – two arms, two legs and a face that was disturbingly similar to that of her race, save for some strange fur on their heads. This familiarity forced Liara to recall the legends about the Stakars, about how they resembled the daughters of Athame.

But _resemble_ was not the word that Liara would use to describe the cyborgs. _Twisted Parody_ would have been a better description. Their bodies were covered with all manner of strange machines; on their limbs, their crotch, their breasts, and in other places that Liara couldn't quite see. They jutted out from their flesh, as if they had been painfully and torturously inserted there.

These cybernetic newcomers moved like predators, their eyes glowing a sickly blue color, while blue lines stretched like nerves and arteries throughout their necks and limbs. But there was something else to these creatures that terrified Liara, something she couldn't quite understand.

 _Why are they so quiet_ , Liara thought. _Where is that silence coming from?_

 _It hurts. It's so quiet! Why is it so quiet? It's coming from them? That hurtful silence, it's coming from the cyborgs-humans._

She looked at Sokun for some insight, but instead she found her mentor slowly losing consciousness, his head wound releasing more and more blood. It seemed that the wound had been more serious than he thought.

A desperate fear filled Liara. She wanted to cry out for help, but she knew that it would be pointless, amidst this battle. She wanted to ask Rael'Zorah for help, but the Quarian was frantically trying to contain the damage to his suit, and like Sokun, he was also rapidly losing consciousness. Liara did her best to help both of them, but she knew that they would all die of their wounds if they didn't receive any medical help, or if this battle dragged on any further.

Then without any warning, the cyborgs unleashed lances of sickly, blue energy at the first group of humans, pushing them back, though unable to injure them. A small group broke off and to push their attack, while the main body of cyborgs turned their attention to Wrex's crew, Nihlus' soldiers and Vog's mercenaries.

A lance of light pierced into Vog's left eye socket before he could snap Xunyon's neck, and his head exploded into a mist of blood and bone. His men were also struck by the same energies as their leader, and they died just as quickly. Xunyon stood triumphant as the bodies of her betrayers crumpled to the ground.

Seeing the attack on Vog and his men, Nihlus gave orders to fight, but a lance of energy struck him on the chest. He was dead before his body reached the ground. All nine of his men died several heartbeats later, as they too were cut down.

Wrex and his men were more fortunate, as they scattered and attempted to fight back; but they too were cut down. The cyborgs were fast, merciless and deadly efficient. They slaughtered the Citadel soldiers with ease until only their leader stood in their way, but even Spectre Urdnot Wrex was no match for the newcomers. The Spectre was hit on the left side of his body, as he twisted to dodge the strange energy beams that arced all around him, and he hit the ground bloody and unconscious.

All were slain. Even Had'dah's surviving men had been purged. Only Xunyon, her Salarian bodyguards, Rael'Zorah, Liara T'soni and Mura Sokun had been spared by the murderous cyborgs.

The slaughter was done so fast that the first group of humans barely had the chance to intervene, but after the initial battle, they were able to rally and retaliate. Now, the two groups of humans traded blasts of strange energies, just as Wrex, Nihlus, Vog and Xunyon's warriors fought each other earlier.

Amidst this slaughter, Sokun, Liara and Rael'Zorah froze where they cowered, afraid that any sudden movement will summon the wrath of the _mythical creatures_. They could feel the thoughts of the cyborgs entering their own minds, as though part of the strange silent-presence that seemed to emanate from them.

 _Protect Xunyon!_ One of the Cyborgs ordered with her thoughts, a creature whose body bore some strange resemblance to that of an Asari's. Dark, disheveled hair fell to her shoulders, and her terrifying cybernetic features made her look like a witch-like being. She moved with an unnatural speed and grace, and her presence demanded obedience from her fellow machine-creatures.

A small group of the cyborg newcomers quickly moved between Xunyon and the Stalkers, as if to shield her, while the rest of their group continued to fight their enemies. Their leader – the dark haired, female shaped cyborg – also kept close to Xunyon, as though speaking to her about her mission, while a male, who seemed to hold equal authority to the female, ordered additional cyborgs to fan out and push the Stalkers back further.

Streaks of energy flowed back and forth from the combatants. The battlefield was turning into a maelstrom of twisting energies. Amidst all this, Xunyon remained calm. She was certain of her victory.

 _What about them?_ The cyborg witch asked Xunyon, pointing at Sokun, Liara and Rael. Liara heard the thought-voice clearly in her own head, as though the cybernetic witch wanted her to know her imminent doom.

Xunyon seemed to ponder the question a moment, and Liara realized that she was thinking about whether to kill them or not.

"Leave them to the Zone," she said.

 _It would be better to just kill them_ , the cyborg insisted, but she didn't do anything.

"I'm sorry Mura," Xunyon said to the now bleeding and unconscious Sokun. "But _this_ is too much for you to understand." She then turned back to her cyborg mistress, and opened her Omni-tool to transfer the Reaper algorithms that had been the whole point of this mission. The witch tilted her head, as she received the data, and nodded in gratitude.

 _You have done well, Xunyon_ , the female cyborg's thoughts told the Dalatrass after the data transfer was complete.

Xunyon did not answer, but bowed silently, and she, along with her surviving bodyguards were ushered closer into the black sphere to prepare for their exodus. Liara turned to look at Xunyon and saw a triumphant smile on her face. She also saw her whisper a few words into the the female's ear, and the cyborg nodded.

With their main task finished, the male cyborg raised his hands, and the cyborgs disengaged from their battles against the Stalkers, and retreated into a battle line close to their whirling black sphere. None of the Stalkers had fallen; their light burning brighter than before, but some of the cyborgs had been crushed or torn apart like so many pieces of meat and metal. It was clear that a prolonged conflict will not end in the cyborgs' favor, but even so, they did not need to fight.

"Hello Shepard," the female cyborg greeted the lead _Stakar_ at last, not with her thoughts but with an ancient raspy voice that sounded like it hadn't been used for centuries.

"Miranda," the leader of the of _Sta'kar_ band answered ominously, as he saw _Miranda_ emerge from behind the line of cyborgs who protected her, and then added sardonically as he turned towards the male cyborg, the blue light of its eyes dancing with amusement, "And look! You brought Harper too. I'm quite honored."

"Figured it out yet, Shepard?" The one called Harper asked, his voice was more normal, more _human_ than Miranda's.

Shepard looked at both of them, paused briefly and nodded. "Well, it's kind of obvious now, isn't it? This was your plot all along."

"Yes... Shepard," Miranda said. "It was a good plan. It could have gone better, but we'll take what we can get, I suppose."

"Some plan," the Stalker next to the one called Shepard said, its light burning hotter than his fellows; red and blue artifacts whirling around him.

"Ah, Redrick," Harper answered him. "How's the daughter?"

Red only made one of his customary low growls, and his light but his light grew brighter in fury, as though he wanted to crush Harper for his idle banter.

Around them, the dark skies began to emanate eerie red lights, and the ground itself began to tremble. There was no doubt that the Zone was angry.

"What do you want with that Reaper code, Miranda?" Shepard's voice boomed like that of an otherwordly being, deep and malevolent.

But Miranda would not give him an answer.

"Just let us leave, Shepard," she said calmly. "It's already over. We have what we need. None of you need to die here."

"Funny, I could say the same to you," Shepard said. "We could use the local C-Con nodes tie you up here. The Factions are probably on their way as we speak. Time is not on your side."

"No, Shepard. It is you who is out of time," Miranda answered, and she gave him a slight smile that was made even more demonic by the blue glow of her eyes. "Even as we speak, our Star Fortress orbits Shanxi. There is nothing you can do to stop us."

Shepard paused, closed his eyes to commune with the planet's C-Consciousness, and they confirmed what Miranda had said. There was indeed a Star Fortress on Shanxi's orbit, and although that massive vessel could be destroyed, given time; time was the last thing Shepard had right now.

"Did you actually think we would come here unprepared?" Miranda asked with amusement. "So as you can, see gentlemen, at the moment, we have bigger guns than you."

One of the Stalkers took a step forward, and a loud boom exploded in the vicinity of excavatation site, where Xunyon had emerged from about an hour ago. There can be no doubt what would happen if any of them attempted to halt the fleeing cyborgs.

Realizing the futility of the situation, the creature known as Shepard raised his hand, to hold back the other Stalkers, and they did not move, but nor did they retreat. They just stood there, like shining statues with domed helmets that appeared smooth stones.

Slowly and one by one, the cyborgs and their Salarian servants entered the black sphere to return to wherever they came from, while Liara, Rael and Sokun looked on as powerless bystanders, ignored by both the Stalkers and the cyborgs.

"Farewell, my lords," Xunyon said triumphantly at the Stalkers, but before she could enter the black sphere, the left side of her head exploded.

This sudden attack struck both the Stalkers and the cyborgs in surprise. Xunyon's body fell to the ground like a bloody piece of meat, and her surviving bodyguards looked upon her with horror.

Miranda's blue metallic eyes flashed with anger, and she sought the source of Xunyon's death. At first, she thought the attack came from the Stalkers, but she soon found the culprit in the form of one Saren Arterius, who despite being bloodied and wounded, held a looted mass effect sniper rifle.

He stared at her, then her monsters, then the luminescent power of the Stalkers, and then at the madness all around him. His eyes twitched, and he began to laugh, as though suddenly realizing that he had gone insane.

* * *

Saren awoke in darkness. Whether it was by luck or the divine providence of the Spirits, he had survived the explosion that took out the Tomkah transport that held him.

He winced as a sharp pain pierced through his left arm, and the sensation quickly reminded him where he was. He was buried in a shallow crevice, right below tons of metal. He could barely move, and the darkness was suffocating, but the good news was that his handcuffs had been damaged during the crash, such that he was able to break the locks by repeatedly smashing them against a rock behind him. He kept at this for several minutes, even as the world outside sounded like it was being torn asunder.

After a little persistence, Saren finally freed himself from his handcuffs, with only a little injury to his hands and limbs thanks to his thick Turian shell. He then quickly began to dig his way out of the crevice, and towards the faintest glimmer of light.

As he did so, he tried to remember the events that led to this situation. He remembered being loaded into a Tomkah transport, along with the kidnapped xeno-archeologists, T'soni and Sokun. He remembered the sound of weapon fire outside, and the fear that went with them. He also remembered the flush of elation when he learned that the attacks came from surviving Turian commandos.

However, his most vivid memory was that of the explosion. Something had hit the Tomkah, and now, he was buried in rubble.

Battle still ragedg outside. He could hear the screams and the weapons fire. That can only mean that Xunyon and her forces had been cornered, and this gave him some measure of hope. Slowly, Saren began to dig his way out of the hole. He was surprised at how easy it was, and soon, more faint light began to flow through.

He redoubled his efforts, and he was rewarded with a hole large enough for him to crawl through. As Saren emerged from the wreckage of what used to be the Tomkah, he was greeted by a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

The sky looked a pale mix of grey and red that seemed to Saren like the shade of perpetual twilight. All around him, he saw the burning red eyes of ravenous creatures. But worst of all was the scene of slaughter. All around him were the bloody corpses of Turians, Krogans, Batarians and Asari. Not too far away, his eye caught the lifeless, battered face of his old comrade, Nihlus Kryik, surrounded by the corpses of his own men.

Saren had been to many battlefields, had seen his fair share of death, but this! This was horrible.

Then he turned to see two groups of monsters. One group consisted of glowing, creatures of light and energy; the other a group of Cyborgs. Saren feared that he had gone insane, until he saw his prey: Xunyon. She was the source of all this. She was the target.

Instinct and pain drove him to desire her death, and the universe seemed to agree, for as if by providence, Saren stumbled upon a weapon as he fully emerged the wreckage of the Tomkah. It was a sniper rifle, and it was good enough for what he wanted to do.

And then, half-mad with pain, Saren pointed his weapon at the Dalatrass and fired.

* * *

Miranda looked at the Turian with her dead cold eyes. She raised a hand, burning blue with some malevolent energy, to punish the Turian, but before she could take Arterius' life, a loud rumble shook all of Shanxi, and her skies burned like an ocean of flame.

 _Emission!_

The cyborg witch faltered, and instead of killing Saren as she intended, she directed her power at the Null Field Projector, which still stood in the middle of the battlefield. A lance of blue energy, flowed from her hand and destroyed the structure, and around them, the eyes of hundreds of mutants flared up like little candles, eager to pounce on new prey.

Then _Miranda,_ along with Harper and all of their minions – Salarian and cyborg - then rushed back into their sphere, and disappeared from Shanxi as though they had never been there. The Stalkers, too, retreated into their own anomalous sphere, to flee before the wrath of the Zone could over take them.

All except one.

Only one of the Stalkers remained; the leader of the group, the one they called _Shepard_ remained _._ He had no face save for the blank emptiness of his domed helmet; no form save for a vague, flickering silhoutte amidst the light that covered his body.

Shepard directed his gaze at Liara and Rael, then to Saren Arterius who looked at him in madness and wonder, then to Mura Sokun whose blood covered his face, then finally to the unconscious Spectre Urdnot Wrex, who despite his wounds, had barely survived.

The emission was now growing stronger, and Liara knew that unless some miracle were to happen, they were all doomed. She tried to call out to Stalker, but her voice was drowned out by the Zone's maelstrom, and she wanted to cry, as hope left her.

But Liara did not cry. Instead, she began to pray.

Some primal part of her remembered ancient stories about the Stakar lords, about their beauty and wisdom. She strove to remember those childhood memories, and tried to block out the faceless, eldritch terror that now stood before her. She asked for the salvation, if not for herself then for her teacher.

And then the terrors of the Zone descended upon the wretched suface of Shanxi. But as the darkness descended, a strange power covered over them, protecting them where they had once been protected by the Null Field Projector.

 _Come to me! All of you!_ Shepard called out to them with his alien thoughts. _Come to me. I will protect you._

* * *

Liara's body felt like it was burning inside out. The primal part of her struggled impotently to hold onto some vain hope of life, but nothing could be done. She couldn't move a muscle, nor could she see anything, and whatever sounds she could hear sounded like distant whispers. Terror filled her mind and she wanted to give full vent to her silent screams.

Her fears were interrupted, however, when she heard... no, felt, or more accurately, _thought_ to hear the thoughts of other beings.

And she knew that it was the Stakars. They were still here. She tried to call out to them, to will them to come and save her.

 _Help_ , every fiber of her being cried, but their presence remained distant whispers. Nevertheless, she felt them coming closer, their thoughts growing louder and louder in her head, and some small part of her felt hope renewed.

As if to confirm such hopes, she heard two distant voices speak an alien language in her mind.

 _"Bailey! Where the hell are you? Where's that Mudak?"_

 _"I'm here! Shit! Can't a guy take a piss without having to listen to you cock-sucking faggots."_

Their voices! Liara thought. I can hear them... and their thoughts.

" _Hey! We got survivors! Over here. Help me get them up._ "

They were coming closer, and Liara wanted to scream, _I'm here! Over here!_

 _"A Quarian, a Krogan and a Turian."_

Other survivors? Liara thought, and a strange hope arose in her.

 _"Where's Shepard?"_

 _"Who knows. He should be close by though. Hey! So what do we do with our, uh, three survivors?"_

 _"Four. I got an Asari. A dead Salarian next to her."_

 _Dead Salarian?_ Liara thought. _No! No! No! Please! Goddess No!_

 _"Asari? Really?_ _Presvyataya Bogoroditsa!_ _Lemme through. Lemme through."_

 _"Back off you two. You too Kiril!"_

 _I wuz just watchin'"_

 _"Yeah, her tits. Doc says to get them back to the bunker and that's what we're gonna do. Now, fuck off. I'm carrying blue tits. You carry the lizard."_

 _"I'll carry the Asari. You two idiots carry the Krogan."_

 _"Hey it's Shepard! Where ya been? What'd you stay for the Emission for? You enjoy being fucked by the Zone, or something?"_

 _"Fuck you, Bailey. You guys should've helped me save the aliens."_

 _"Yeah, about that. We'd rather not play hero, and that little stunt of yours hurt you pretty badly. You okay?_

 _"I'm fine."_

 _"You don't look fine."_

 _"I'm fine Red! It's not the first time I walked into an emission."_

 _"Whoah there, Shepard. Watch your blood pressure. Hey guys! Check out captain courageous over here."_

 _"You know what, Bailey? Ah fuck it! Are you guys gonna help me or what?"_

 _"What for? Look at them. They're almost dead."_ Liara felt something poke her leg.

 _"Because they can tell us what happened here, what Cerberus was after, and what they wanted with that damn Reaper algorith. But, of course, you guys already knew the reasons. You're just bunch lazy bastards."_

 _"Whoah, come on Tov'rish. Pull that stick out of your ass for once. You wanna play hero. That's your call. The rest of us would rather not soak the tender love of the Zone."_

 _"Oh shut up, and pick up the Krogan."_

 _"Blyad. Aww c'mon Shepard. I ain't gonna do nuthin to blue tits. Can I carry the Asari instead?"_

 _"No! Now, come on, we gotta get back to the bunker before another emission hits."_

Liara felt herself rise up almost magically, and she knew that the Sta'kar - no the humans, she corrected herself – will make everything okay. She kept floating and floating and floated... until finally, she felt her consciousness rise to some imagined height, and the young Asari maiden fell into the gentle embrace of quiet sleep.

* * *

A long time ago, Jack Harper thought that he feared no man.

That all changed when he joined Cerberus, when he met for the first time the man everyone would eventually call, the Illusive Man. That first meeting taught Jack Harper that he did have the ability to fear other living man, that he was neither as strong nor as fearless nor as ambitious as he imagined himself to be. It was a bitter lesson, but eventually proved fruitful.

Even today, many millennia after his transformation into a being that could no longer experience human fear, Harper still felt a primal wariness whenever he met face to face with the enigmatic leader of Cerberus, which he was about to do now.

Harper entered the impressive room noiselessly; its walls patterned in smooth lines that flowed seamlessly from the floor. One side of the room held special projectors, which created the perfect rendering of a nearby nebula, such that the entire are was filled with the bright reds and whites of distant stars.

At the center of this room, was a single chair, and seated upon it, like a dark king upon his throne, was the Illusive Man himself. He paused whatever he was doing when Harper entered, and looked up at him with the look of a disinterested animal before going back to his chore.

Harper waited patiently for him to finish. He saw that his superior was cleaning _that antique_ again, an ancient "pistol" – a PMm Makarov to be precise. This ancient weapon was the only clue to the Illusive Man's real identity, though Harper did not need it, for he was among the very select few who actually knew the true identity of the Illusive Man... and what he is capable of.

Harper waited for his superior to finish what he was doing, and sure enough, the Illusive Man quickly reassembled the various parts of the PMm and put away his cleaning tools. He tested the pistol's mechanism and it gave him an affirmative 'click' in response. Satisfied, he put away the gun, and turned his attention to Harper.

The Illusive Man's face looked hard, with features that may have once been handsome, but today his face was sallow and drawn, his flesh covered by eerie blue lines and his eyes glowed with ominous power. Like Harper, the Illusive Man looked like the twisted version of a human, a pale, grey colored cyborg, more akin to the living dead of distant legends than a living human. Metallic components were visible on his jaws and his left hand looked like a metallic skeleton.

Harper couldn't quite see the details of his clothes, but he could tell that the Illusive Man was wearing his usual robes, a habit that fascinated Harper, since most of the rest of Cerberus only wore the exoskeletons that had been fused into their flesh millennia ago.

"Well?" the Illusive Man voice was calm, but his tone asked many questions. This was another strange habit of the Illusive Man that puzzled Harper. He preferred talking to telepathic communication.

"The Batarian nearly cost us the mission but we got what we came for," Harper answered without fear or hesitation.

"Which goes to show that the even the best plans can be threatened by flawed tools. And Xunyon?"

"The Dalatrass is dead," Harper answered.

The Illusive Man paused, as if the death of the Salarian Dalatrass had complicated his plans, but he merely said with a shrug, "A pity."

Harper did not answer.

"Is the algorithm integrated into the network?" The Illusive Man asked after a few more seconds of silence and careful thinking.

"Yes sir," Harper said the _sir_ with some hesitation. "You can access it with your console."

The Illusive Man did not show any indication that he was pleased. He just nodded his head, and activated his console, a small device made from a sick mercury-like material floated from behind his chair, and from this device, came the faint, familiar light of a holographic projection that highlighted a complete three dimensional map of the galaxy, and even a few areas in dark space. On the right side of a map were a series of notes that corresponded to several red-markers. The Illusive Man read the information carefully then repeated it twice to make sure he didn't miss anything.

"Have you gone through this?" The Illusive Man asked Harper after he was finished reading the first parts.

"Yes," Harper answered.

The Illusive Man grunted in response, though Harper couldn't tell if he approved or disapproved.

As the Illusive Man kept reading, his hands began to tremble, his mind filled with strange feelings of excitement long forgotten after his _transformation_ into... _this thing_. From this excitement came a strangely human emotion, igniting some long lost humanity hidden deep within the monstrosity that he had become.

"Harper," the Illusive Man said as he looked up from the holographic projector, his voice filled with excitement. "Make the necessary preparations. We're moving out immediately."

"Now?"

"Yes, now. We will waste no more time."

"You really do believe that Strelok found the Leviathans? But even if he did, we should..."

The Illusive Man kept silent, but Harper could feel the animosity from the pale glow of his eyes, daring him to utter another word.

Harper hesitated for a moment, stealing a glance around the Illusive Man's private room to see some clue that he may have missed.

"Harper!" The Illusive Man warned him ominously. "The Leviathans have the technology to defeat the Zone, and that's all that matters now. Not the Reapers. Not the Monolith. Only the Leviathans; they are our only hope." A brief pause. "Strelok knew this."

Harper remained unconvinced but he was wise enough not to show it. He quickly bowed and left the room without further protest.

The Illusive Man watched Harper leave. thought about what he said, and then turned off the holographic projector. The device, floated quietly behind his chair, and the Illusive Man turned to look at the pistol that he had been cleaning earlier. For some strange reason, he was excited; no, optimistic about the success – well, relative success – of their latest operation. It was an emotion that intrigued him. He, along with all of the humans who had followed Cerberus, had relinquished portions of their humanity in order to free themselves from the Zone, and one of these portions was their ability to feel human emotions, a byproduct of "null-surgeries" that they had undergone countless millennia ago, a procedure that involved altering their genetic structure at a sub-atomic level, mostly with the help of _Reaper technology._

The Illusive Man now wondered if the emotions he felt were real or some kind of trick that his mind was playing on him. He tried to focus such thoughts away, and to focus on the tasks close at hand. This time, he felt no emotion, only the cold, calm focus that he, and all other Cerberus humans felt.

This calmed him down, and he looked at the pistol that he had cleaned shortly before Harper burst in to give him the news. All of the pistol's parts have been replaced over the millennia, such that none of the original pistol had been left. It was still the same pistol, perhaps, but only from a certain perspective.

The Illusive Man felt that he was no different from the weapon. He had changed too, and his transformation had erased everything that he had once been, such that his past self would stare in terror at the being that he is now.

He examined his pistol closer. An inscription on the weapon read, _"For succesful execution of highly dangerous state orders, as well as valor and courage shown in the line of duty."1_

* * *

Author's Note: 1 - In "Call of Pripyat," Alexander Degtyarev had a unique pistol called "Honorary PMm," which had the inscription: _For succesful execution of highly dangerous state orders, as well as valor and courage shown in the line of duty_

* * *

I've had complaints that the Stalkers act like juvenile dumb asses despite being thousands of years old. Before I answer that, let me remind everyone that so far, only the Stalkers have been portrayed here.

The other Factions, like Duty, the Tribe and the Ecologists, will have a lot more gravitas, and will play the wise elder race role in later chapters (Monolith and Cerberus will play the eldritch abominations). Freedom, on the other hand, well, they're pot-smoking anarchists, so they are going to be as juvenile as the Stalkers.

Having said that, I have several answers to this question. First of all, there will be an explanation for the juvenile behavior later on, but the short answer is that Stalker humans are desperately holding on to their humanity, so they often engage in behavior that they believe keeps them human, such as drinking, smoking and stupid banter for example, just to tell themselves that they're still human. All the grafitti, the swearing, the drinking, the brawling, the sexual innuendo and whatever is just overcompensation for a _humanity_ that Stalkers know is slipping away from the species. It's like a middle aged man who does a lot of stupid shit to prove to himself that he isn't a middle aged man. It's just a little bit of innocent fun in an existence that wants to torture you to death.

More on this in later chapters.

Secondly, Stalkers are supposed to be juvenile and a little stupid when they're relaxing. Barracks humor is part of the S.t.a.l.k.e.r. universe. Stalkers enjoy making jokes and having fun. It's part of being a Stalker.

Hell, even Roadside Picnic had a lot of juvenile humor. Stalker and Roadside Picnic are the stories of simple, working class men putting up with an eldritch universe that shits on them all the time, and the characters respond by laughing at this very same eldritch universe and giving it the finger. The only Stalker story that did not have any humor was the movie adaptation of the novel, but I'll stick to the novels and the games in how I portray the Stalkers.

Finally, it was already revealed that Humans are not unique in their self-exile. The Leviathans have been around for a billion years, both on this fic and in canon, and they haven't changed one bit. Humanity has a similar condition.

Stagnation and misery are two of the themes of Anomalous Effect.


	17. Chapter 17

Garrus? It's Dad. Don't talk. Just listen. I only have a few minutes worth of encryption then I have to pretend I don't know anything.

I finally got you a break on the Saren Arterius case. It so happens that a Citadel Spectre - an Asari - is looking for him too; and the ex-Spectre Urdnot Wrex as well, I'd wager.

I said listen! The encryption won't last long.

Here's the recap. As you know, Saren is gone and so is Urdnot Wrex. Rael'Zorah blew his brains out a week ago. So that only leaves one survivor from the Shanxi incident still in custody: Liara T'soni. If the Hierarchy is to recover Saren, she's our best lead. Trouble is, she's in Asari custody, and we can't touch her.

Here's the good news though. The guys upstairs have pulled a few strings for you to join the Spectre. It'll be a joint investigation, but officially off the record. You understand? Good.

Don't worry about the Spectre. You'll know her soon enough. She has her orders, as do you.

Now, before you proceed, you need to know truth. The official story about the Shanxi incident is that it was a glorious battle between a pirate fleet and a Hierarchy fleet for control over the long lost Shakari planet of _Shanxi._ Both fleets annihilated themselves close to the planet's orbit, except for four survivors who managed to escape to the surface using escape pods.

You and I both know that's a sack of crap.

So now here's the truth. There was no pirate fleet; only two ships. The Dalatrass' vessel and Edan Had'dah's. Yes, the Hierarchy did send a fleet to capture them, which is a little overkill if you ask me, but it wasn't pirates that killed them. Something else destroyed the fleet sent to intercept Had'dah, and not even Naval Intelligence knows what the hell happened.

But Saren knew. During his interrogation, he said something about "Ser-be-rus" and "Emissions." I don't know what those are, but they're important pieces in the puzzle. I've already sent you the file. Study it.

Oh yes, Saren knew the truth, and I'm willing to bet that's why he escaped custody. Now, I don't believe in Shakari legends, nor do I believe the conspiracy theories that they're somehow still alive after all these millennia, but this is their planet we're talking about.

Something is out there.

Son, I wish I could give you more information, but I'm already out of time. Watch your back out there. If anything happens, I'll let you know. Bye

\- Encrypted message to Lieutenant Inspector Garrus Vakarian

* * *

 _Six Months After The Shanxi Incident_

 _Sarteras Mental Health Sanctuary, illium_

* * *

Liara woke from her slumber at the sound of the door opening. She tried to use her hands to brace herself off her padded bed, but her biotic-proof straitjacket reminded her that that wasn't an option, so she satisfied herself by sitting upright and waiting for her guests to make themselves comfortable.

Despite the circumstances, her padded room was still quite comfortable. It was constructed inside a much larger room, in the most luxurious area of the mental health facility. Her mother had made sure of that. Indeed, her cell may as well have been a hotel room. She could even call out to the attendants to have them play her favorite music or request some special food. However, despite all these arrangements, Liara had no delusions about her present predicament, nor did she harbor any hopes that they would release her any time soon.

The newcomers entered, and they turned out to be a quiet, somber pair: An Asari and a Turian. Both were dressed in civilian, business attires that did little to conceal the military conditioning in their gait and movement. Liara smiled. She had been expecting them.

She studied both of her visitors through the mass-effect protected two-way mirror that separated her padded cell from the rest of the room. The Asari was a blue skinned matron with purple markings on her forehead and temple, while the Turian was young and sharp faced, but with several scars on the left side of his head.

The Turian looked youngish, sharp and clearly observant. Liara could feel him observing her even when his eyes were scanning the rest of the room. The Asari - a matron - was another matter. She fixed her gaze on Liara, like a powerful predator that hungered for her meal. Hers was a single-minded focus that concealed little of her intent.

The new-comers sat down on the visitor's chairs at the other side of the two way mirror. They took a few moments to observe Liara, even as the security camera to her cell twisted slightly to get a better focus on the new arrivals.

"Dr. T'soni," the Asari began. "I'm Spectre Tela Vasir. This is Lieutenant-Inspector Garrus Vakarian. We were told that you are willing to help with our investigation, so we're here." The Matron's voice was flat and dispassionate, unwilling to engage in any sort of banter.

Liara smiled at the lack of niceties. She appreciated the Matron's candor. In the past few months since her return to Citadel space, everyone who talked to her - colleagues, friends, relatives and even Citadel officials - had been ever so polite; so full of flattery or condolences. But she knew that beneath it all, what they really wanted were her secrets. They wanted her to tell them about the Sta'kar world at the other side of relay 314.

 _What was it like?_ They would ask in one form or another.

Oh she told them all right; not about the humans, but about the Zone. She told them more than they cared to learn or accept. She forced them to listen about the Zone, even as they tried to turn away. She told them again and again, until one day, something snapped and Liara attacked a smug Matriarch professor who ridiculed her 'insane ramblings' with a dining knife.

The next thing she knew, she was here in this padded room, wearing the latest fashion for mental health patients. _They had so many questions, but none of them were prepared for the answers, s_ he thought. _The Zone. They have no idea what it was like_. That's why they placed her here. Yes, even her mother, the esteemed Matriarch Benezia thought she had gone insane, and in a way, she had.

She was mad in both mind and body.

Her appearance alone would have inspired fear in most Asari in Citadel space. After _Shanxi,_ her body had received dozens of new scars and burn marks. Her tentacles, once carefully cared for, were now damaged in several places. She knew that she looked like a madwoman, and she felt like one too. She could feel the stress in her bloodshot eyes, the paranoid fear on her face, the sickly sound of her voice and all the other clues that had led to her imprisonment here.

But none of that bothered her, at least not to the same extent that they used to. _No, none of that mattered._

"So you are. Who doesn't know the great Tela Vasir?" Liara answered the Spectre with some wry amusement. "But before we begin, I'd like you two to answer some of my own questions first."

"Dr. T'soni..." the Turian began, but the Spectre touched him and he stopped talking.

"Of course, Dr. T'soni," the Matron said.

Liara leaned closer to the window, smiled at her then nodded her head slowly.

"Please. Let's not be so formal, Tela," Liara said then Liara giggled like a child. "Can I call you Tela. You can call me Liara. Liara T'soni," she giggled.

"If you wish..." Tela Vasir said with equal amusement. "Liara."

Liara smiled at this then she said, "they escaped haven't they?" Liara asked the question in the manner of an Asari child telling a joke.

Vakarian wanted to say something, but he turned to Tela Vasir instead, as if to say: _I told you this was a bad idea,_ but the Matron ignored him.

"Unfortunately," Tela Vasir began, "that is privileged infor-"

"Don't!" Liara said forcefully, straining against the straight jacket and looking like she would hurl herself against the window any moment. "Don't. Lie to me. We both know why you're here. A Citadel Spectre working closely with a Hierarchy investigator to _interview_ an insane mental patient. You're both walking clues. So do us all a favor, and confirm what I already know."

Tela Vasir did not blink, but it was clear that she had been caught a little off guard. To cover some of her own misgivings, she shrugged almost absentmindedly. She could always apply more pressure on Benezia to keep Liara quiet.

"Yes. Yes, they both escaped. Urdnot Wrex and Saren Arterius are gone." She paused to consider her next words carefully. "Naturally, their disappearance is connected with the Shanxi incident, which Agent Vakarian and I are currently investigating. We hope that you can help us."

Liara accepted this without rancor. She tilted her head to one side and pondered the news. "Do you know where they went?" She asked.

"We don't know," Garrus answered before Tela Vasir could answer. "We hope you could give us some clues on where they ran to and why." Then he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "That's why you agreed to talk to us. Somehow, you knew that Saren and Wrex have escaped from custody."

Liara laughed, and she did so in a way that disturbed both Garrus and Vasir. "Of course, I knew, and you're scared that I might try to escape too."

"It's crossed our minds," Tela answered, and she said _our_ to emphasize that the Citadel Council was also concerned about this situation. "Do you know where they are now?"

"I can make a guess, Tela, but you won't like them," Liara said, and before either could answer, she asked, "And Rael?"

Garrus paused, a little afraid. He glanced at Vasir for confirmation, and she nodded in agreement.

"He's dead," Garrus said. "His wife too."

Liara staggered back from the window, mouth partly open in shock. She paused to consider if it was a lie, but she knew better than to delude herself like that. Rael'Zorah had been the least affected by the Zone. When they returned to Citadel space, he was physically and emotionally healthier than any of the three. So for him to die like that...

"H-how? Tell me! How did it happen?!" She stammered.

"Murder-suicide," Garrus answered flatly before Vasir could stop him, but she let it go. It wasn't important. "He almost killed his own daughter, but he was apprehended before he could harm her."

Liara backed even further away from the two way window and slumped down to one side of her padded room. She looked visibly surprised. No, horrified. She lowered her head in dismay and a few tears fell down her cheeks. "Goddess! Sweet merciful Goddess. It came true. What _he said_ came true. Oh Goddess."

"What came true?" Vasir demanded, but Liara would not answer.

"Dr. Tsoni?" Vakarian asked gently when Liara did not speak for a couple of minutes. Tela Vasir, though, observed her carefully, looking for signs of weakness or opportunity.

"I'm okay," Liara answered, though her voice seemed frail and sorrowful. "I'm okay. You were talking about... Yes. Yes, I am prepared to help you with your investigation." She stood up, shook away the tears and walked back to the window. "What do you want to know?"

It was like a sudden transformation had come over her. Where she had once been a dangerous enigma, Liara T'soni now looked like a tired, worn out creature, eager for rest and comfort. She sat down on the padded floor, looked up at the two figures across the window, crossed her legs and waited patiently for them to begin.

Garrus and Vasir wondered if this was some sort of trick, but Liara only looked like a lonely, tired Asari who wanted to share her secrets.

"Are you okay?" Garrus asked kindly.

"Oh, I'm quite alright, inspector," Liara said without any trace of irony or hostility. Only weariness. "Please begin. We've wasted enough time on games."

"Very well," Vasir said, taking the advantage. "Let's start with what happened after you've been rescued by the Stakars-"

"The Humans, Spectre," Liara corrected. "That is what their species are called. Stalker is just a title."

"Very well, the _humans_ ," Vasir said. "They rescued you, Spectre Urdnot Wrex, Agent Arterius and Rael'Zorah. Dalatrass Xunyon was dead. Hailut Vog was dead. Edan Had'dah was dead, as were all of the slave-workers, technicians and mercenaries. Their ships were also gone - destroyed by this so-called 'emission.'" Tela Vasir used her fingers to make air-quotes for the word _emission_. "Only the four of you survived. All of that was clear in your debriefing."

"What isn't so clear is what happened after they took the four of you underground. What happened down there? That's what we want to know. What happened next?"

Garrus then took the chance to insert some of his own thoughts. "It's clear that you don't want to talk about what happened when the St... _humans_ rescued you and the others. From what little I know, even Saren did not want to talk about what he found in those underground cities. I can only assume that Rael'Zorah and Urdnot Wrex did not want to say anything either." He looked at Tela Vasir, but his partner kept quiet. "But now we need to know. A lot of people's lives may be at stake."

"That's not the questions you want me to answer," Liara accused.

"Yes, it is," protested Vasir with irritation in her voice.

" _Is it?_ " Liara asked coyly, and a bit of the madness came out once again. The words were made even more sinister because her tone was calm and gentle

"You want me to tell you about the hidden treasures hidden under Shanxi. That's the only thing you care about. You believe that Wrex and Saren have found some kind of hidden 'Stakar' cache, and they are now using it to enact some kind of secret plan to find other 'Stakar' technology hidden all over the galaxy." Liara then laughed at them. "How little you know of what is really going on."

"That is not true," Tela Vasir said a little too quickly.

Liara smiled at both of them, but the scars on her face as well as the straight-jacket only made her seem like an eager predator. "I know why Wrex and Saren escaped, and it's not for the reasons that you or your superiors think."

"Then by all means, Liara, tell us," Garrus said calmly. "Tell us what you've learned from 'mythical' creatures. You and other survivors have refused to talk about it this long. I think it's time you shared it with the rest of the galaxy."

"Share it with politicians looking for 'Stakar' loot, you mean," Liara corrected then she smiled at him, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "And how would you like me to begin? Oh, I know! Once upon a time..."

* * *

Six Months Ago

C-Consciousness Node-Bunker 21-C, Shanxi

* * *

A garden.

Liara woke up to find herself in an underground garden. The place was filled with all manner exotic trees and flowers, but above her she could spy various stalactites as well as the cold dark ceiling of rough and ancient stone.

 _I'm underground_ , she thought. _An underground garden?!_ She had seen a few of those in Citadel space before, mostly on corporate colonies on sparsely populated worlds. They were sanitized places for tourists and corporate personnel.

But this? This was different.

The garden was massive, easily the size of several parks. But for the ceiling above, she would not have guessed that she was underground. And there were anomalies everywhere, floating and shimmering like exotic glowing rocks, a clear reminder of where they were. They floated like so many fireflies, their light mixing with the unnatural gaseous phosphorescence that permeated the cavern like a strange, alien fog.

As she regained more of her senses, and her eyes adopted to the Twilight-like atmosphere of the garden cavern, Liara noticed a clear blue stream next to her. It was one of many that flowed to and from unseen apertures in the cavern. In the water, swam strange, alien fishes that seemed a bit feral. When she tried to touch one, one of the creatures jumped up and tried to bite her fingers off with its fanged teeth.

"Be careful," came a filtered voice from behind her.

"Rael!" Liara exclaimed, suddenly remembering that he had survived. She did not get the chance to know him in the last few days when Dalatrass Xunyon first brought him to Shanxi, but even so, she was still pleased to see a fellow survivor.

Rael'Zorah still wore his Quarian suit, and the damage to it had been repaired. He sat cross-legged on a rock behind Liara, and judging from the way he moved around freely, it seemed that Rael'Zorah's injuries had been treated as well, and that came as a relief. From her experience, an injured Quarian is inevitably a dead one as well.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"I suppose you could say that," she said with bitter humor.

Rael nodded absentmindedly then nodded his head in the direction of Urdnot Wrex, who waved back to them. The Krogan was near one of the cavern walls, apparently exploring and looking for a way out. The walls themselves seemed to reflect back the phosphorescent light of the cavern, which made them appear darker and more ominous than all the rest of the garden.

For a brief moment, Liara imagined Urdnot Wrex as a lumbering ghost, as he groped around in the cavern's darkness; a lost creature seeking a way out of the terrors that had brought him here.

Liara shook her head to clear it, and the image went away. She then turned back to Rael, who sat quietly watching the garden. "Have you seen..."

"Dr. Sokun?" Rael asked, guessing her mind. He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Liara already knew the answer before she even uttered the question. Even so, that did not lessen the pain, and so she pushed away her sorrow, knowing that it could prove fatal at this point in time. _There would be enough time for tears later._

"How long have I been out?" Liara asked.

"I don't know," Rael answered. "Quite a while probably. I only woke up a few hours ago, so I couldn't really say."

"And the Spectre?" Liara asked, tilting her head again in the direction of Urdnot Wrex. "I don't know either. He was the first to wake up I think. He'd already been exploring the cavern, while I was still out."

"And?" Liara insisted.

"And it seems that we are trapped here at the moment."

"What about the Turian?" Liara asked, suddenly remembering the Turian spy Xunyon had captured days earlier.

"Agent Arterius woke up after the Krogan Spectre. He had been quiet the whole time," Rael said, pointing at Saren, who sat apart from them on a low hill that overlooked the garden cavern. The Turian intelligence agent glared at them with his brooding Turian face. "Don't bother," Rael warned. "I tried talking to him but well... you know how Turians are."

 _How Turians are._

Liara had known many Turians, so she knew better than to put too much faith on stereotypes, but Saren, it seems, fits the mold. Angry and with a perpetual chip on his armored shoulder.

As if sensing their conversation, Saren face contorted into an even angrier scowl. So Liara ignored the angry Turian and turned her mind to her current predicament. "Where are we?"

Rael'Zorah laughed at that. "Well, isn't it obvious," he said, waving his hand around them. "We're in the magical land of the Sakars!"

"Very funny," Liara said, not so much for the "Sakar" comment but the Magical part. She stood up and looked around. As her eyes began to regain their focus, she noticed that the garden was more beautiful than she had originally thought. Its flowers bloomed with bright colors, while its short trees and shrubberies looked strong and exotic. But for the floating artifacts and the phosphorescent air, the garden would have been truly beautiful instead of being the sick though awe-inspiring simulacrum of nature that it was.

"Rael," Liara began after a brief pause, "Do you want to talk about the machines, the Rea..."

"No!" Rael snapped. "I don't to talk about those _things._ "

"I understand."

"Good, let's not speak of that again."

"Speak of what?"

Liara tore her eyes away from the landscape to look at the battle-hardened Krogan approaching them. Urdnot Wrex had lost his hardsuit, and now wore strange, ill-fitting garments that had obviously been provided to him by their hosts. Wrex's face bore many scars, and his eyes looked feral and hard, but he flashed Liara and Rael a smile that helped to reassure them.

"Speak of what?" Wrex repeated.

Rael didn't answer, while Liara answered, "Nothing. It's nothing."

"It probably is," Wrex said with wry amusement, though his eyes flashed with eagerness at the thought of new revelations, but he pushed his curiosity aside and focused on Liara who regarded him with a little suspicion. "Dr. T'soni. I didn't have the chance to properly introduce myself. My name is Urdnot Wrex. Spectre Urdnot Wrex."

"Yes," Liara answered. "You were the one who warned me about the mercenaries who tried to kidnap Dr. Sokun."

Wrex nodded his head. "And had you listened to me, you wouldn't be here right now."

"Maybe," Liara said. "But I want to thank you nevertheless. I understand you tried to rescue us."

Wrex nodded again. "It was one of my missions, yes," he answered.

"So any plan of getting out of here?" Rael asked.

"I'm working on it," Wrex said calmly, but it was clear that he did not find an exit on the cavern walls. "Looks like we'll just have to wait for the you-know-what's?"

"The Humans?" Liara asked.

"The what?" Wrex asked confused.

"The Stokar," Liara explained. "That's what they call themselves: Humans."

Wrex shrugged his shoulders at this news, as though it wasn't important. "Well, in any case, I hope-"

"Loooook!" It was Saren who interrupted Wrex. "Look! Over there!"

They all turned to where he was pointing, and saw to their great surprise a strange looking asaroid moving in the cavern's shadows. It looked squat, short and most importantly, it's walking towards them.

"Stokar!" Wrex muttered to himself.

"Where'd it come from?" Rael asked excitedly.

"How should I know?" Wrex snapped. "Liara, what should we do?"

"Why are you asking me?" Liara retorted.

"Aren't you the Stokar expert?"

"Is that even a Sakar?" Rael asked.

"What else could it be?" Wrex retorted.

Liara's response stopped at her throat, as the "Stalker" came closer. Despite its weight and relative size, it seemed to move very fast. It was only a few paces away from them now.

"Saren! What are you doing?!" Liara heard Wrex shout. Her eyes scanned for Saren and she found the Turian running towards the alien with a large stick. It was obvious what he wanted to do.

"No!" she cried out, but before Saren could deliver a blow, he froze. The "stalker-human" turned its head towards him, and the Turian dropped the stick. He then straightened up, and in an awkward, almost mechanical manner, he walked towards Rael, Wrex and Liara, ahead of the "human," who now continued its march towards them.

"Spectre Urdnot! Dr. T'soni!" Rael said with alarm. "Uhhhh, I can't move."

Liara tried to turn her head to look at Rael, but she discovered that she, too, couldn't move. She moved her eyes to look at Wrex next to her, and it seemed that the Krogan was also frozen in place.

"What's going on?" Liara asked, but neither Rael nor Wrex had any answers.

The "human," the Stalker, had turned them into puppets. Saren took his place between Wrex and Liara, while Rael moved forward to stand next to Liara.

The "human" was very close now. It walked slowly but surely, and as it came closer, Liara felt her nerves tensing to almost maddening levels, and she realized that _it_ was not alone. Another creature was close by, invisible. She felt it move ahead of its partner, as though impatient to take a closer look at them.

Liara felt this invisible creature move behind them. She felt its alien hands touch her limbs. She heard its panting breath, as it examined them like a curious animal. Liara wanted to call out to it, to convince it that they mean no harm, but her fears did not allow her to speak at all.

The squat human now stood before them, it's face smiling in a strange simulacrum of Asari features as it studied all four of them.

Liara calmed herself so that she could study its face. It had a flat, broad face, along with a squat, heavy body that was barely concealed by its grey robes. Its limbs were also thick, and on its face was an alien smile that sent chills down Liara's spine. There was also something very unnerving about the eyes, and Liara felt her fears grow.

The creature did not speak. Instead, it projected its thoughts directly into their minds.

 _So!_ Came the creatures thoughts, _Do those things move?_ The 'human' pointed at Liara's tentacles.

Liara blinked several times to make sure she heard that. "What?"

"Those tentacles. Do they move?" The creature repeated the question, but accompanied by his voice this time, the alien language made intelligible only by the thoughts directed into her mind. "The elder ones say they don't move, but a lot of them are drunk when they tell their stories."

Without waiting for a response, the creature moved forward to touch Liara's tentacles. "Huh? I guess they don't move after all."

" _What are you doing_?!" Came a voice that sounded more like a gurgling noise than a set of intelligible words. It was the invisible creature.

" _What does it look like? I'm studying the_ _Asari,_ " replied the squat creature to its invisible partner.

"What are you saying?" Wrex demanded at the 'human.' "Are you a Stokar?"

" _A Stokar?"_ Joker asked with amusement. " _You mean a Stalker? You think I'm a Stalker?_ _Hey Kas, they think I'm one of the Elders."_ It began to laugh.

" _Good for you!"_ Came the gurgling noise of its partner. " _Can we leave now!? We were only supposed to observe them; not talk to them. If the Elders find us here-_ "

" _Calm down, Kas. They're still probably drunk._ " The 'human' answered in an alien language, then directed his attention back to Wrex. _"If you mean, I'm human. No, I'm not human. I'm a Controller. Name's Joker by the way, and the Blood Sucker behind you is Kasumi."_

 _"Joker!"_ Kasumi snarled at him.

" _Oh relax, will you?_ " Joker admonished as he began examining Rael's fingers.

"What's a Controller?" Liara demanded, as Joker poked and prodded a snarling, cursing Saren next. "Are you some kind of 'human' sub-species?"

" _I'm a Controller,"_ Joker answered flatly, as though that should be explanation enough. Then sensing the Asari's thoughts, he added, " _Don't worry. The Elders will see you as soon as they're sober."_

" _Will you stop your blaspheming!_ " Kasumi snapped at him.

 _"I'm not blaspheming. The elders are pretty nice. It's the rest of us that insist on worshiping them as demi-gods."_

" _Joker!_ "

 _"Fine, let's go... What is it?"_

" _Did you feel that?"_ Kasumi said nervously.

 _"What?"_ Joker asked just as nervously. " _Are they coming?"_

 _"One of them is here! Sorry, Joker you're on your own!_ "

" _Kas, don't leave me here! Kasumi!"_ But the Bloodsucker was gone. " _Kas? Damn Bloodsuckers! Bunch of cowards._ " Joker swore under his breath. Joker released Liara, Rael, Wrex and Saren, causing them to collapse onto the grass and flowers. The Controller then began to run as quickly as his squat body would allow him towards the cavern walls, to flee before the "Elder" arrives.

But the elder did arrive, and on time too.

"Joker!" A powerful voice boomed. It was familiar, and the survivors realized that it was the voice of the human who saved them during the emission.

High above them, a whirling black sphere appeared, just like the ones they saw during the final battle on Shanxi's surface. The sphere descended slowly to ground, right in front of Joker, blocking his escape and casting flowers and bits of grass all around like a descending air craft. Next, the sphere unleashed a flash and a loud boom filled the cavern, and from it emerged a robed creature.

The four survivors stopped to look at the newcomer, curiosity and awe overcoming their fear. The creature was clothed in a grey hooded robe. Its face was covered by what appeared to be a gasmask of some sort. It was also was well-built, with broad shoulders and large limbs. It was quite tall, taller than the average Asari, and it moved with a natural agility that was surprising for its size.

The four were taken by surprise by what they saw. They had seen the humans clothed in light and power. They did not think that there was flesh and blood underneath that power, a living creature instead of an immaterial legend. And yet here was a human, a Stalker, bereft of the strange technology that their species used on the battlefield.

But just as they were studying this new being, the newcomer dropped another bombshell on them: It took off its mask.

Liara gasped as she saw the human's face. It looked like an Asari's face - a male Asari's face, but the color of its skin was that of light cream instead of the normal blue. It had strong features including a strong jaw, a high brow and several old scars. When it removed its hood, Liara discovered that it also had thick bronze hair on the top of its head where tentacles should be.

The sight of the creature brought back lessons about ancient Stakar legends, about how they were the _male_ guardian consorts of the ancient goddesses, or in other religious legends, they were ' _ **rewards** '_ in the afterlife for heroic Asari who lived nobly and courageously. Liara had scoffed at such legends, but seeing the truth of it startled her.

She had always imagined the Stakars to be ambiguous non-sexual creatures that gave healing and advice. She never thought... Well, maybe there was some truth to the old legends after all. Certainly Liara could not ignore the evidence in front of her. The _human_ was uncannily similar to an Asari, not only in _his_ features, but also in his motion and expression.

The Stalker spared a glance at them, regarding them with mild interest before turning his attention back on the _Controller._

"What were you doing?" He demanded from Joker, but before the Controller could answer he turned to the group, asking them using telepathy: " _What was he doing_?" But before they could answer, he read their minds, and realized what Joker was up to, and was displeased by it. The human then turned to Joker and sent a psychic whack directly into the Controller's head.

"Owww!" The Controller complained. "I was just curious, Kommandir. That's all. I didn't hurt them. Ask them yourself." The Controller pointed at Wrex, Rael, Liara and Saren.

Seeing the 'Controller' pointing at them, Wrex asked Liara, "What are they saying?"

"I don't know," Liara answered apologetically. "I can only make out a few words or so."

"They sound angry to me," Rael commented, while Saren growled at the tension around them.

Shepard was giving the Controller a long lecture, even while the four survivors looked at the two creatures with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"Can I go, now?" Joker asked impudently after Shepard had stopped talking down to him.

"No!" Shepard said flatly. "Stay awhile. I have plans for you."

"Oh come on, Kommandir..." But stopped short when Shepard did not stop glaring at him. "I'll keep quiet now."

"You do that!" Shepard said then turned his attention back to the survivors. He walked past Joker and towards Rael, Wrex, Liara and Saren. As he came closer, Liara noticed that he smelled of cheap vodka and dirt, but such smells didn't make him any less intimidating.

" _Sorry about that,_ " Shepard said as he paused in front of the four. He was using an old Salarian language to talk to them, but he also complimented his verbal speech by projecting his thoughts directly into their minds. " _Joker is a bit of jackass. Controllers are actually quite formal. He is the exception it seems_."

The four survivors looked at each other, a little dumbfounded.

" _I just came in to check on you. Make sure you're alright._ " However, before the human could finish, Saren took a step forward, snapped to attention and said, "My name is Special Agent Saren Arterius. Service Number: 54-8865. Seventh Special Operations Regiment, 10th Company. I Demand to Speak With Your Superior Officer, as Per Military Code..."

Saren didn't finish his tirade as Shepard laughed at him.

"What so funny!" Saren snarled, and his indignation caused Wrex to laugh at him too, which caused Liara and Rael to chuckle. _Turians!_

" _Calm down, Commander Badass_ ," Shepard said with a smug smile on his face, now speaking the traditional Stalker pidgin language, though he still projected his thoughts telepathically. " _You'll talk to someone important soon enough. For now, you just take it easy, okay?_ "

"I will not! You and your... Ahhhh"

Saren's body froze even as he tried to lunge forward. Shepard had anticipated the tension and fear in the Turian and he used his psi-powers to physically freeze the latter's muscles.

" _Look, Saren is it? I know shit's all emotional right now, but you need to calm down. Now, I'm going to let go of you, and when I do, I want you to talk to me without shouting, okay?_ " Saren glared at him, but the Turian nodded its head.

Shepard let Saren go, and the Turian fell to his knees. He quickly got up, but he didn't say anything further. He just glared at Shepard, angry and, though he may not admit it, afraid. He slowly backed away, unwilling to take any further risks.

Shepard ignored the Turian's hostility, and focused his attention on the other three to see if they looked hurt or sick. He was pleased to see that they were not, to which he nodded his head and began to turn away.

"Wait!" It was Liara. "Just like that? You're going to leave just like that?" She asked before Shepard could completely turn his back on them.

" _I only came to check on you, and make sure you're okay. Well, that and make sure no one was bothering you._ " He looked at Joker who was waiting patiently for him to finish. _We'll have enough time to talk once you've rested._ "

"Are you going to interrogate us?" Wrex asked, voicing his own suspicions and fears.

" _Nope_ ," Shepard answered then added without any verbal speech, _We already got what we needed when you were sleeping._ The use of pure telephatic communication, telepathy without verbal sound, dispersed the illusion that Shepard was talking to them using his voice.

Wrex took a step back warily, suddenly remembering what these creatures were capable of. If they could talk telepathically that means they could... Shepard gave Wrex a wink, a very alien gesture (to a Krogan) that also seemed like a nefarious and subtle threat.

Since the four were speechless, Shepard took it as a sign to continue. " _Doc wants to look at you later. Make sure none of you are hurt. If you need anything, just yell at him._ " Shepard jabbed a thumb at Joker who stood impatiently behind Shepard, annoyed and a little irritated.

"What?! Why me," Joker complained.

"No whining. You wanted to take a closer look at the aliens. Now, you get what you wished for. Enjoy."

" _Any of you hungry?_ " Shepard asked. _"Hurt? Feeling Strange?"_

The survivors looked at each other and responded in the negative. " _Good! Then my work here is done."_

"Wait!" Wrex called out, as once again, Shepard began to walk towards the whirling sphere from which he came. "You can't just leave like that. We have questions."

"Tons of them," Rael said with some hint amusement, clearly surprised at how casual the ancient 'Sakars' are.

Shepard rolled his eyes in exasperation then nodded his head. " _Fine! You get three questions. No more_ ," Shepard said with a politeness that barely concealed his irritation.

The four of them looked at each other, as though unprepared to deal with the situation. _Three questions._

"What are you going to do to us?" Wrex asked. It was the question that was foremost on everyone's mind.

" _We're going to fatten you up and eat you_ ," Shepard told the three males, then he turned to Liara. " _As for you, we'll dress you up, make you sit on a wheat field and force you to listen to our problems._ "

Shepard chuckled at his own joke.

" _Seriously, though, we're not going to hurt you. Not unless you force us to. You'll stay here as our guest until the the Zone has stabilized._ " Rael was going to follow up with a question, but Shepard cut him off, already aware of what he was going to say. " _Presently, the Zone in Shanxi's system is unstable. All interstellar travel is grounded. If a ship so much as tries to leave or enter the system..._ " he gave a sardonic shrug. " _Once things have calmed down, though, we'll send you back to Turian space, and you will tell everyone on the other side not to come back here._ "

"This technology. What kind of technology did you use to create all this?"

" _You mean this cavern?_ "

"You know what I mean," Wrex snapped testily. "This entire planet. This entire system. It's unnatural. How is any of this possible."

Shepard sighed. " _You want to know how we created the Zone?_ "

"Yes!"

" _The Zone is a corruption of the Noosphere, which in effect is the corruption of reality. That's basic gist of it. Next question._ "

"That doesn't answer anything at all," complained Wrex.

" _Of course it does. You just don't understand the answer that's all,"_ Shepard said smiling _. "And if that's the case then you're asking the wrong kind of questions._ "

Wrex made a low instinctive growl, his annoyance plain and clear.

"What's a Noosphere?" Rael asked the third and follow up question.

Shepard rolled his eyes. _Blyad! Why can't he ask that question to someone else?_ He thought to himself.

" _You know that matter can be converted into energy and energy into matter, right?_ " Shepard asked. " _Well, there's a third part to that equation, you can convert energy into information, and thus, if you can control information, you can manipulate matter._ "

"That's not possible."

" _Pretty possible actually_ ," Shepard said without missing a beat, " _otherwise, none of this would exist. But to get back to your earlier point, it helps to think of the Noosphere as the real world version of a computer code. A code is what allows a program to exist. Mess with the code, and you mess with the program. Likewise, a Noosphere is what allows life, all life, from the single cell organisms to the most advanced lifeforms, to exist. Mess with the Noosphere and you end up with the Zone._ "

"That sounds insane. It flies against all known laws of physics," Rael complained.

" _All **known** laws of physics that you know of, you mean_ ," Shepard answered coyly. " _We know a little bit more._ " He then he shrugged. " _A friend once told me that my species relationship with Zone is analogous to a madman and accusing his his living reflection of being insane._ "

"May we be allowed to examine this technology," Rael asked, his scientific curiosity clearly aroused.

" _No,"_ Shepard answered flatly _. "The last thing we want is for you to... Well, let me it put this way. Do you really want your homes to turn into what you saw above?_ " The four were speechless. " _That's what I thought. The origins of the Zone are complicated, and what it has evolved into... we don't really know. So trust me when I say this: Studying the Zone can be a very dangerous project._ "

 _Evolved?_ Liara thought. It troubled her to think of an immaterial force as being _alive._

"That sounds like a load pyjak shit to me," Saren snapped from the back.

" _It's the rule of quantum dynamics_ ," Shepard answered, though clearly indifferent to Saren's anger. " _You have discovered quantum dynamics, right? Perturbation Theory, Controlled Quantum Prescience, Dilation Theory, Information-Energy Interaction Theory, etc..._ "

"Yes, we do know about Quantum theory," Rael began "but..."

" _Well, there you go. You will discover that what we call reality is not a linear deterministic equation, but a gigantic clusterfuck of chaos. Our Noosphere technology is merely the directly application of the Comprehensive Information-Energy Field Theory unto the field of Quantum dynamics._ "

"What?" Rael asked a little puzzled.

" _Listen, I would love to answer more of your questions, but I am late for my weekly bar brawl and drunken self-pitying session. So if you don't mind, I gotta fuck off._ " Shepard began to leave.

"Wait!" Liara shouted.

Shepard looked at the Asari, a little angry now. " _You used up your questions._ "

"Yes," Liara said, and she smiled a little because she found Shepard's angry face a little charming. "I know, but can we... I mean, can I talk to the others? The other humans I mean. I mean others of your kind. I am... stammering, but I'm sure you know what I mean. "

Shepard looked at her with amusement on his face. He chuckled to himself and said, " _Sure, why the fuck not?_ "

The human then gave each of them a sardonic smile. He then took a swig from his vodka flask, and very quickly walked into the whirling sphere and disappeared, leaving the four survivors (plus Joker who was standing around close to them now) with more questions than answers.

"Welcome to wonderland," Liara told herself gloomily, as the bubble anomaly that brought Shepard rose upwards and disappeared.

" _Hey can I touch your tentacles again?_ " Joker asked.

* * *

Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Anomalous Effect.

Expect the following chapters to cover the "old days," when Elder Race Stalker humanity visited the homeworlds of the Citadel Races when they were still in their infancy, and taught them how to make booze and smoke weed.


	18. Chapter 18

Omake: Tali's sad, miserable life part 2

* * *

You were not here when hope drained from my heart.

You were not here.

You left us alone and abandoned me.

You're supposed to come when people need you and make everything alright. I needed you and you never came.

\- Tali upon meeting the "Sa'kar" Vladimir Shepard (8 years after the Shanxi incident)

* * *

 **Somewhere on Illium - Six Months after the "Shanxi Incident"**

 _Sakar - ancient and wise - please grant me my heart's desire. And in exchange, I shall give you a lock of my hair and a kiss of true love..._

It was the perfect happy ending.

The father came home to his family.

He returned from the darkness back to them.

Tali remembered when they - her mother and I - were reunited with Rael. There had been many tears and sweet words during that reunion. Her father came home as he had promised, and that's the only thing that mattered to her. But more than that, he also came back with credits; a lot of it in fact, enough to start a new life.

As a young girl, Tali did not question where her father's newfound wealth came from, nor did she harbor any suspicions of what he had done to earn them. Oh, she was curious about the strange (and to her, menacing) Citadel officials who crowded around Rael, when they met him on the one of Korlus' semi-piratical spaceports, but her innocent mind dismissed such minor details as unimportant. All that mattered was that her father had returned, and with him, wealth.

After Rael's secret "job" on Shanxi, the Zorahs suddenly went from impoverished and detested _exiles_ , to rich and powerful _expats._

After a quick celebration in their old, dilapidated home, the Zorahs quickly left their ugly, poverty-stricken lives on Korlus and set out to find a new future among the luxuries of Illium, where they were welcomed into the fold of the wealthiest Quarians-in-exile.

Things rapidly changed in the weeks that followed after they arrived on one of Illium's wealthiest cities. Their sad, patched up, recycled suits were replaced by the most high-tech and ostentatious designs. They also ate the best delicacies from Rannoch and Palaven, and Tali was enrolled in one of the most prestigious schools in Illium. And to top it all off, Rael bought a luxurious new condo in one of the local Quarian district, which he then quickly filled with the best amenities he could find on short notice.

Yes, things were certainly looking up.

Despite the improvement in their living standards, Tali found it strange that they had to change their names and identities upon moving to Illium. She also did not like the cold, frowning Krogan and Salarian officials who often visited Rael, often at late hours, to talk about "algorithms" and "dig sites."

To make matters worse, Rael began to exhibit strange behaviors since his return. He began to drink a lot, and there were moments where he would just sit quietly and stare in the distance for a couple of hours. He also began to have strange dreams, and in certain cases, he would talk to himself. When these moments pass, Rael would act as if nothing happened, and will even take Tali out for a treat just to prove to her that nothing was wrong.

 _But something was wrong._

 _Tali didn't know what that something was, but she was sure of it. Wherever Shanxi was, it did something to her father._

* * *

Tali finally learned the answer to that mystery one evening, when she came home from school.

As she passed through the main door, she heard - to her surprise - his father whimpering in the kitchen. She hurried to find out what was wrong, her heart pounding from some unknown fear. What she found terrified her.

There, on the kitchen floor, lay her mother covered in her purple blood, most of it pouring out of the domed glass helmet of her suit where she was shot. Next to her, pacing around like a caged animal was Rael, a pistol in his left hand. A gasp of sorrow escaped Tali's mouth, but before she could escape, Rael turned to her, suddenly aware of her presence, and pointed his gun at her.

Tali froze, unable to believe that her father would threaten her like that, or that he was capable of killing his own wife. She looked at Rael like a cornered animal, expecting him to kill her at any moment, but he didn't. She tried to find some rational explanation as to why her father would do this, but the only thing that came to her mind were subtle clues that were not so important before, but now helped to put the tragedy into clear focus. Something on Shanxi changed her father, twisted him into a monster. And now that monster had burst forth, like a festering wound.

Behind his sealed helmet, and behind Rael himself, something alien and menacing smiled crookedly at Tali, expecting her to come closer.

"Come to me, daughter. Come to me, Tali," Rael said, then added in a twisted voice that almost seemed foreign, " _Your journey is complete. Only one will be rewarded_."

" _Idiiiiii Ko Mnyeeee,_ " Rael whispered.

Tali tried to move, to flee, to call for help, but she froze in place, sobbing at her own helplessness rather than the terror of her murderous father.

Then Before she knew it, Rael was on her, his free hand grasping her arm, while the other pointed the pistol at her face. He then backed her against the kitchen wall, pinning her there.

"Your mother! I tried to save her," he mumbled, half to himself and half to Tali. "I can save you too, Tali, but you must trust me. I- Arggghhh" He paused, and his body trembled as though in a seizure. "It won't stop!"

Tali pleaded with her father, but it seemed that Rael couldn't hear her, so engulfed was he in his madness.

"They don't want to be monsters Tali," Rael said in an almost screeching voice. "You need to understand that. They had been kind to us. They saved us... But they're still monsters. Monsters, and the evil inside them will spill out to destroy the galaxy. That or maybe the machines will destroy us first..." Rael began to laugh hysterically. "Oh, Tali! I can hear it in my brain. The monsters. They're all here... Screaming at me!"

Then he slammed her against the kitchen wall. "Will you fight them?!" The question was a snarling demand.

"Your hurting me!" Tali whimpered.

" _I said, d_ _o you want to fight them?!_ "

"Fight who?" came Tali's terrified answer.

"Them! Fight them! The things out there. The Machines and those monsters. All of them. Do you want to fight them?!"

"No!" Tali sobbed, huddling. "I don't want to fight anything. Please father! Please, I-"

"Oh ancestors! Blessed ancestors. Rannoch is burning. Rannoch is burning. Everything is burning," Rael cried. "You! Don't lie to me. It said you will fight them. It told me! I saw you in my dreams. Stop lying to me! "

"I'm not lying."

Rael snarled at her, almost animalistic in his fury.

"I don't know anything," Tali protested again and again, but her voice was less than a whisper now.

"Don't lie to me! The Zone told me. It showed me the future. Do you want to suffer _there? Do you want to-"_ Rael paused, as though he suddenly woke from a dark dream. "Where... No, this can't be real. It was supposed to be a dream." He looked at his hands and he realized that it was indeed neither a vision nor a hallucination. He turned around to find the corpse of his wife, and Rael began to whimper and cry. "This can't be happening... I'm sorry, Tali. I'm so sorry."

Tali shut her eyes and bit her lips, as Rael let go of her, and began to pace back and forth on their kitchen table. Tali crumbled to ground, sobbing and helpless as her father seemed to descend deeper and deeper into insanity.

This went on for a few horrifying minutes until, spent and terrified, Rael stumbled against the kitchen counter, and he slowly lowered himself down into a sitting position across his daughter. Tali looked at her father in terror, but she was too terrified to speak or scream.

Outside, Tali could hear the sound of sirens and shouts of their neighbors. None of this fazed Rael though. For a long moment, he stared out into the distance, as though seeing something for the first time, then very slowly, he put away his pistol and took out a strange box from the folds of his suit. He opened it, and showed it to his daughter.

Tali gasped in surprised to find a strange glowing thing - beautiful and almost magical.

"It's a fragment of a Firefly, Tali!" Rael said excitedly, some of his madness subsiding. "The Zone gave it to me. It's for you. Here. Just like in the legends. You remember? Hado'Vashla. She had one just like this! It came from the Zone." Rael, his fingers covered in purple blood, extended the box forward to Tali. "Take it."

Tali did not move. She did not even flinch. Everything - her dead mother, her insane father and now a mythological artifact - All of it was too surreal.

"TAKE IT!" Rael snarled, his voice monstrous, and Tali - with shaking fingers obeyed. The artifact was beautiful, but to Tali, it only seemed like a sick, evil thing, brimming with some dark malaise.

"Return it to the Shepard," Rael said the name clearly. "Remember that name, Tali. _Shepard._ Tell him that the Zone told me to do this. Tell him." The Quarian then got up. Outside, the noise of frantic boots were coming closer and closer. She knew what they were. They were coming to take her father away.

She would become an orphan, Tali thought, and the finality of it wounded her heart.

"Goodbye Tali," Rael said, and there was a sad finality to his voice, as though to say, _We will never see each other again._

Tali could do nothing as her father calmly walked out the door of their condo to meet the police officers waiting outside. She could hear their agitated voices shouting at her father to put his weapon away. She waited for a weapon to expel fiery death, but none came. The only thing she could hear outside were rough scuffles as the officers apprehended her father, and began to drag him away

As though suddenly shocked out of her fears, Tali closed the box that contained the Firefly and hid it deep inside her coat. She quickly ran to the corridors, calling out to her father, crying and weeping, but she was stopped by one of the security officers, who promptly dragged her away to the nearest medical team. She only caught a glimpse of her father's back, as he was dragged away down the stairs to the police vehicles parked outside.

She yelled his name, but he did not answer back. She yelled again and again until her throat was raw, but he was gone. And then the deluge of emotions burst out, and Tali wept for her parents to save her from nightmare, but they did not come. There was only the laughing darkness, and Tali retreated into herself, seeking some refuge within her soul.

 _Sakar - ancient and wise - please grant me my heart's desire. And in exchange, I shall give you a lock of my hair and a kiss of true love..._

* * *

 **One week after Rael'Zorah's capture  
**

"You son of a bitch!" Tela Vasir snarled at private her communication console.

"Calm down, Tela," the voice at the other end answered calmly.

"Calm down? You killed Rael'Zorah!" Tela Vasir.

"I didn't kill the Quarian," the voice said. "I merely gave him the means to kill himself."

"Don't give me that!" Tela snapped back. "When - not if - when Tevos learns that the Shadow Broker was involved in Rael'Zorah's death, she will hunt you down..."

"And make my life a living hell. Yes, yes. I know," the Shadow Broker said in a bored tone.

Tela Vasir leaned back on her chair and began fingering some of her tentacles to calm her mind. It was bad enough that Rael'Zorah had gone insane and killed his wife, but for him to commit suicide while in Citadel custody... Well, that was a disaster, and to make matters worse, Tela Vasir recently learned that the pistol he used to blow his brains out came from the Shadow Broker.

After Wrex and Saren escaped from Citadel and Hierarchy custody respectively, Rael's death left only one Shanxi survivor who isn't either dead or gone underground: Liara T'soni, but she's currently in a medical facility, well-guarded and inaccessible... at least for now.

"Why did you kill him?" Tela asked, almost snarling after she composed herself.

"Again," the Broker said, "I did not kill Rael. The good Quarian and I had a deal, and his price for that deal is that I take care of his daughter and... help him expedite his journey into the Quarian afterlife. I'm afraid Rael'Zorah was quite determined to free himself from his mortal coil. I suppose his experiences on Shanxi _traumatized_ him."

This new information surprised Tela. "He made a deal with you?"

"Of course," the Broker said with amusement.

"And what did you get in return."

"Oh come now, Tela," the Broker said. "You honestly don't expect me to answer that, do you?"

"I've served you for years, I deserve..."

"You don't 'deserve' anything, my dear. Our relationship is strictly business. You know my policy: _If you've got something spill the beans, if not take a hike._ "

Tela's face contorted into a mixture of anger and hurt, and it seemed that she was ready to unleash a biotic attack on her own terminal.

"Oh very well," the Broker said. "I'll give you this one for free. Rael'Zorah found some very old, very dangerous algorithms while on Shanxi. You know about the Salarian Dalatrass, right? That's what she wanted; not ' _Stakar'_ relics or trinkets. That was the reason why she hired Zorah in the first place. He was among the best computational theorists in the Citadel. Not a lot of people possess the intellect or the skill to get those algorithms."

"And now he's dead," Tela said broodingly. "These algorithms..."

"Ah. Ah. Ah. You already got a freebie. Don't ask for more. If you want more information about Rael'Zorah's Algorithms, you should go ask your friendly STG operative or even your patroness, the good Councilor Tevos."

Tela Vasir considered this carefully. _Of course, Tevos knows a thing or two about_ what really happened _during the Shanxi incident_! _But will the Councilor tell her what she needed to know? Or will she use her as a blind pawn? The latter most likely.  
_

Realizing that there was no benefit in showing strong emotions, Tela allowed herself a sigh and muttered a few grudging words of thanks.

"I'm sorry for losing my patience," she added. "I suppose I'm just a little stressed out."

"Calm down, child," the Shadow Broker replied. "You must learn to be more patient."

"I swear. Sometimes, I think you consider all this a game," she accused, and a little angry at being called 'child.'

"Oh, but it is," replied the broker. "It is a game. A very dangerous game to be sure, but a game nonetheless. Trust me, I've been doing this for a very, very long time."

"Longer than an Asari?" Tela laughed, suspecting that the Broker is either an Asari or a Krogan.

The Shadow Broker did not answer though. Instead, he sent her a file, along with a Turian officer's dossier.

"What's this?" Tela asked.

"A job. If you're interested."

"You know I am."

"That's my girl," the Broker said affectionately, but Tela rolled her eyes in mock amusment. "Now, here's what I want you to do. I want you to speak with Benezia, and then ask for an interview with her daughter. Next -"

"That's not very likely," Tela replied cynically. "T'soni doesn't want to talk. Believe me, I tried to talking to her, and the little bitch blew me off."

"Vasir!" The Spectre was surprised by the forcefulness of the Broker's voice. "Be quiet! And listen. T'soni will talk. Trust me on this. I've already made most of the arrangements."

Tela Vasir was about to ask what these 'arrangements' were, but she was cut off.

"I understand your fears, my dear. You fear that T'soni is either trying to escape or planning her own suicide. I assure you that the pretty little creature intends to do neither, and more importantly, she is now prepared to talk."

"Why now?" Tela asked suspiciously. "For the past few months since their rescue, the survivors refused to talk about what happened to them on Shanxi."

"Correction," the Broker interjected. "They refused to talk about what happened to them after the 'Stakars' rescued them."

" _Stakars,"_ Vasir snorted derisively. "Little children's stories."

"You will find a lot of wisdom in children's stories, my dear," the Broker retorted.

"You can't honestly suggest that the Stakars are still alive, do you?"

"Before I answer that, let me ask you this, What do you think rescued the four survivors?"

"The experts believe that they were rescued by servitor drones or even some kind of semi-sapient primitives, probably genetically engineered by the Stakars thousands of years ago."

"But not Stakars?" the Broker inquired.

"No, not Stakars."

"Intriguing theories, but why do you find it so hard that the Stakars no longer live?"

"Well, for starters, there are no ships on Shanxi's system. No, orbital stations. Nothing. The Stakars are supposed to be an advanced race that could bend reality. And furthermore..."

"Point taken," the Broker said interrupting her. "But you do believe that they found something interesting while underground, right?"

"Yes! Tela Vasir exclaimed, finally giving vent to her anxieties. "The Councilors believe that there are hoards of ancient technology in Shanxi, and we can't allow the Turians to take it for themselves. It would tip the entire balance of power in the galaxy."

To Tela Vasir's surprise, the Shadow Broker did not respond to her outburst. Instead, he was quiet for a little while then abruptly, the Broker burst into laughter, a sardonic and almost comical outburst that angered Tela.

"What's so funny?" Tela demanded.

"Nothing, Tela. Nothing," the Broker said chuckling to himself. "Listen. Back to business, In the next few... sorry," he chuckled, "In the next few days, you will be joined by a Turian intelligence officer by the name of Garrus Vakarian. His dossier is on the file I sent you. Work with him as much as you think is reasonable. Don't worry about Benezia. I'll handle her."

"You really think T'soni will talk?"

"She will cooperate," the Shadow Broker said then added in an amused tone. "That's the Shadow Broker guarantee, and as for your earlier question: _Do I believe that the Stakars are still alive?_ Well, my answer to that is a simple yes. I believe that they are still around, and even more importantly, I believe that the Protheans are alive as well. I have no proof for these, of course, but that's what I believe."

Tela found the Shadow Broker's answer and tone a little strange. She was skeptical, but she found it strange.

 _Is it possible?_ she wondered. _Is it possible that the Shadow Broker knows something about Stakar relics?_ She was going to ask a few more questions, but the Broker interrupted her before she could begin.

"Goodbye Spectre and Good Luck," the Shadow Broker said brusquely before shutting off his console.

* * *

 _Shadow Broker._

That's what the aliens called him, and the pretentious title still elicited a chuckle from him.

A long time ago, the Shadow Broker went by a different name, and he wondered what Tela would say if she learned that the Shadow Broker began his illustrious career on a rusted hulk of a ship called the Skadovsk, on a planet that had been swallowed up by the Zone more than 48,000 years ago.

Vasir said that she didn't believe that Stakars still exist. What would she say, the Shadow Broker wondered... What would she say if she discovered that she had been talking to one just now.

 _You'd shit your panties, wouldn't you, my dear?_ He thought.

 _Stakars. Little children's stories indeed!  
_

Owl chuckled to himself, his eyes shining bright blue in the darkness, illuminating the metallic skin on his limbs, making him appear like some brooding metallic primate, a powerful hybrid of primordial wrath and cybernetic guile. Outwardly, he was no longer human, but inside, deep inside, he was pleased by his very human emotions. He enjoyed plotting and trading secrets. He enjoyed talking to dangerous creatures, like Tela Vasir. And most of all, he enjoyed gossiping.

 _And isn't that what intelligence gathering is ultimately about? Gossiping._ _Oh yes, I'm the galaxy's biggest gossip_.

* * *

For those who are concerned about our Quarian princess, she will meet the Stalkers once she's a young adult, right around the time the Reapers and the Monolith return to the galaxy, and Liara and Wrex are trying to enlist their ancient enemies to save Citadel space. Presently, though, she's just a little a girl.

For those who are not familiar with Owl, he was one of the traders in the Skadovsk, but he also traded information. I think it's somewhat fitting that he become the new Shadow Broker.

Finally, I got a message about Cerberus. How did they turn into cyborgs?

Well, let me give you a clue. What was canon Ceberus trying to do with Reaper tech?

Blue light, metallic skin. Do those features ring any bells?


	19. Chapter 19

Removed the original chapter. Had to rewrite certain sections.

Anyway, here's the update. The Legend of "Duktur." Part 1

For all those who haven't played Stalker, Doctor is one of the original Stalkers and one of Strelok's friends. He is also rumored to have the power to heal any wound (a reputation he vehemently denies).

Like many Stalkers, he has a strong connection with the Zone, and plays the role of a father figure and adviser to many Stalkers.

* * *

The Legend of Duk'tur!

I think it's safe to say that we have all heard of the legend of the Great Healer. The Legend, who in some myths, was given the title of "The Noble Consort of Athame." Some ancient Asari shipping perhaps?

(laughter from the audience)

Please forgive a lecherous, old Salarian.

(More laughter)

Well, enough of that. If you will look at the screen here…

(An oil painting of an Asaroid creature appears on the screen. The being is covered in light, flowing robes and powerful muscles. The creature looked like a fictionalized and idealized image of a male Asari. The title below the image reads: Duktur, the Great Healer.)

This image you now see came much later in the romantic era. The earlier records were much more vague about who or, indeed, what Duktur looked like. Contrast that image with this. Next slide please.

(An image of Duktur, etched on a stone tablet, portrayed him accompanied by a snarling demon, and on his face was some kind of strange fur. Another picture portrayed him as a terrible angel-monster hybrid covered in strange energies. He is seen battling monstrous creatures)

One thing we can be certain about, though, is that _Duktur_ was the name or title of the legendary Sta'kar in one of the earliest Asari myth cycles.

According to the records, he was instrumental in the survival of the village of Kal'nay, which was one of the earliest settlements in Asari history, and today the second holiest city on Thessia, second only to Athame'thetis, the _Goddess' Home_. As someone who appreciates antiquity, I consider both cities to be among the most beautiful in the galaxy. Absolutely beautiful.

According to legend, Kal'nay had been infected by a dark and evil malaise that killed off a significant portion of its population. Can we show the next slide please? Thank you.

Here is a stone carving of Kal'nay, and here we can see several portrayals of ancient Asari going about their hunting expeditions. Next slide please.

And then here are carved tablets that portray several dead Asari maidens and matrons, killed by the plague. Next slide.

Here we see Hita, the Prophet-Healer, a native daughter of Kal'nay and, if the legends were true, Duktur's first disciple. The image here - it's a little blurry - is a magical talisman, which according to legend had been given to her by Duktur. She used this talisman to heal Kal'nay, which launched her career as the Asari race's first official medical expert.

Now, Hita - as any Asari can tell you - had been a real, living, breathing historical figure. We have all seen her belongings - perfectly preserved - at the _Cultural Legacy Museum_ a few blocks from here.

What is not so certain, however, was her relationship with the legend of Duktur...

\- Dr. Mura Sokun, "Duktur, the Story of the Great Healer," given at the Conference: " _On The Reality of the Sta'kar Myth._ " Held in the Thessian School of Xenoarcheological Studies. (Date Redacted)

* * *

"Well, here they are," Shepard declared in an almost deadpan manner, as he led the four survivors from the antechamber into the small cavern.

They had arrived through what the humans called a "Bubble" anomaly, which is some kind of teleportation phenomenon. They had been hesitant to try it at first, but Shepard managed to persuade them to try it anyway. It had been a terrifying and exciting experience for all of them. One moment, they were in the underground garden and then they were in some other place – another underground cavern filled with several other "Bubble nodes." They then they traveled through another bubble after that, and then another, jumping from one point – one Bubble - after another, each jump instantaneous until they arrived here.

Rael had theorized that the mechanism of the Bubble anomalies were similar to wormholes, but at that moment, his companions couldn't care less. They were the first beings in the known galaxy to experience point to point teleportation. Aside from the exhilaration, the entire experience told them that the humans had mastered some other form of FTL, and that revelation made them all a little uneasy.

Non-Mass Effect FTL! The implications of it!

As Wrex, Liara, Saren and Rael emerged from the antechamber, they were filled both awe and trepidation. It was clear that the cavern had been artificially constructed. The walls were too smooth, and the corners had perfect angles, and yet the whole place felt and looked very primal, like an old building that was slowly being devoured by nature, and being turned into a real cavern. But these impressions were not the source of their surprise.

No, what caught their eye was the strange machinery that seemed to fill the place, and around them flew small, smooth-shaped and glowing orbs, illuminating everything with a strange phosphorescence.

Some instinct within them told them they were in some kind of laboratory or hospital, but all of the machines looked too strange for them to be certain, and also, all of it… All of it felt old. Very old. Half-dying but undying. It was all mystery and darkness; powerful beyond death.

But even so, they were not entirely surprised. They had learned from Joker and Shepard that the humans had constructed their cities underground because of the ravages of the Zone, particularly the destructive emissions that seemed to come and go, like stellar phenomenon.

"It's the emissions," Shepard had explained. "We couldn't build a functioning city on the surface with emissions. So we went underground... and I just realized how creepy that must be for you."

"A little bit," Wrex had replied jokingly. "I figure elder races need to have their monster-infested ancient tombs."

Shepard chuckled at that response, and Liara discovered something very interesting about the ancient and enigmatic humans in that brief exchange: They had a sense of humor. She had imagined dour, noble and wise creatures, but to her surprise (and amusement), they knew how to smile, laugh and joke around, or at least, Shepard did, and there was something comforting about that realization.

As they came closer, the survivors found the other human in the cavern, the one they were supposed to meet. He waited for them like a wraith, observing them the moment they arrived, and was observing them still. Before them, sitting on a small, stone chair, sat an old creature wrapped in an old coat and patched up pants, but despite his appearance, they felt something ominous about him, like he was a frail mask hiding some hidden, alien power.

The old man looked at them, a soft, weary smile on his face. Wrex, Rael and Saren did not know him, but Liara…. Liara felt something – some hidden mystery revealing itself to her.

"Duktur," Liara said the name reverently, even as she felt her stomach tighten and her legs grow weak.

The creature before her smiled and nodded solemnly.

Here was Duktur, the _Great Healer,The Noble Consort of Athame_. She was actually face to face with Duktur. He had spoken to her about two weeks ago, speaking through the "Poltergeist" creature, but it was only his voice. Now, she saw him as he truly is.

As though the creature could read her mind, Duktur said something in an alien language.

 _"Zdrastvuytye,"_ he said.

"Wha-What did he say?" Liara asked Shepard, who stood behind her, scared that she somehow missed some ancient wisdom because she didn't understand the language.

"He just said hello in _Ancient Russian... or was it Ukrainian?_ Whatever. Don't worry about it," he replied telepathically. "He just wants you to get used to him. He's like that all the time."

 _What is Russian? What is Ukrainian? Ancient human languages perhaps?_ Liara wondered, but she quickly turned back to the old human, studying him more intently. To her surprise, the Great Duktur looked nothing like what she imagined him to be. He was supposed to be a handsome, virile angel filled with healing light; glowing with power and virility, and overflowing with ancient wisdom. Instead, all she found was a frail-looking old creature with weathered skin and a face that seemed to emanate weariness and regret.

"Old?" The thought-voice that entered into their minds seemed amused, self-effacing even. "Yes. Very old. Overdue for death actually. Frail? No."

 _Mind reading!_ Liara thought, remembering Shepard's own telepathic powers.

"We can hear your thoughts,yes," Duk'tur sent the telepathic message directly into their minds, "But only because you don't know how to hide your them. Later, I will teach you how to do this, if you are willing to learn of course."

The four survivors said nothing, but it was clear that they're very uneasy, perhaps even afraid, by what Duktur had said. Instinctively, without meaning to, Wrex and Saren crouched a little lower, preparing for trouble. If Shepard or Duktur noticed this, they did not show it. They remained as nonchalant as before.

"Hello, all of you," Doctor said, and this time, he spoke in the same ancient Asari language that he used to speak with Liara and Mura Sokun weeks ago. This language was easily translated by their Omnitools (returned to them by Shepard shortly before they came here, and to their surprise, fully repaired)."I take it you didn't find the journey here too uncomfortable," Doctor said slyly, as he got up from his chair and walked up to them.

"Not at all." To their surprise, Saren replied first, though in a snide voice, "your teleportation technology is... interesting."

Doctor nodded his head solemnly, "and I'm sure, you'd do what you can to _borrow_ some of it, da?"

Saren just smiled at him. He intended it to be intimidating, but the old human didn't really seem to care. His smile became brighter.

"So... how do any of you feel?"

This time it was Wrex who answered. "Pretty good. I feel like..." the Spectre chuckled to himself. "I feel like I could take on an entire army," Wrex answered grinning, meaning it. The Krogan felt younger and healthier than he ever been in years, and Rael and Liara quickly supported his statement. They felt great.

Ever since the rescue, the Krogan had taken it upon himself to act as defacto leader of the survivors, much to Saren's resentment, who saw the Spectre as another symbol of Citadel oppression and Monopolistic behavior.

"There is something in that place of yours," Wrex said. "We should be crippled, but instead we're very healthy. I'm almost tempted to call that place a magic garden. It's a-"

"An Oasis," Doctor finished his words for him with a warm chuckle and then nodded his head and smiled. "An oasis usually has that effect."

"Oasis?" Rael asked. "That's the name of garden that we woke up in."

Doctor nodded again, grinning. "Yes, and in case you haven't noticed, it is an anomaly. Anyone who rests in an Oasis will eventually be healed of their wounds, and injuries."

"You said _an_ oasis. Are there more of these places?" Wrex asked.

"Many more," Doctor answered. "All over the Zone. A few spawn organically, and are infested by _ferals_. Others, like the one you were staying in, were artificially constructed to serve as places of rest and healing. I suppose you could say they have become our hospitals."

"Hospitals usually don't have mind controlling monsters manning them," Saren said sarcastically. Liara looked at the Turian with shock, angry that he was being so difficult. Wrex and Rael were also visibly annoyed by Saren, but they were able to conceal their displeasure.

"Yes, I heard that Joker and Kasumi spied on you," Doctor said, then he stole a glance at Shepard, who stood impassively behind the four aliens. "I apologize for them. Controllers and Blood Suckers are... Well, they've never left the Zone before - never seen aliens, like you, and I suppose they are a little curious."

"Is that what that Controller - Joker was doing?" Rael asked. "Spying on us?"

"Yes," Doctor said, nodding. "On behalf of his people and other _Offshoots_. Not us. Most of them have never seen anything from outside the Zone before. Suffice to say, they're a little scared of you."

"They're scared!" Rael chuckled. "That Controller creature, he controlled our minds; paralyzed us. Scared of us! I think we're the ones who are scared here."

"I'm not!" Saren protested.

"Oh give it a rest already, Turian," Wrex snapped at Saren. "No one's buying the tough –"

"Make me, Krogan filth -" Saren's mouth clenched tight against his will, and he saw that it was Doctor who was restraining him.

"Children," the old human began, "behave." The implications of the "Children" remark did not go unnoticed.

Doctor looked intently at Wrex with his kind, fatherly eyes and then at Saren and then let the Turian go. Despite himself, Saren retreated a pace back, quiet now; his earlier bravado gone. The other three were quiet again,

Their silence was interrupted by Shepard's voice.

"Oh hey! Scotch! Real scotch!" Shepard exclaimed in Stalker pidgin when he saw a crate of liquor on one side of Doctor's cavern-clinic, and walked towards it. Excitedly, he took one of the bottles and examined its contents approvingly.

Saren, Liara, Wrex and Rael seemed puzzled by the abrupt change, but unable to understand what the humans were talking about.

"Yes," Doctor answered, annoyed that Shepard had interrupted. "Zaeed brought them. He arrived at 34-B yesterday"

"Really? How come you didn't tell me?"

"Because Zaeed is still angry about the time you stole his cigars."

"I didn't steal them."

"Yes, you did! Don't lie to me, boy!"

"I'm not lying. Someone else stole them, and it's not like Z hasn't stolen – sorry, borrowed -things either," Shepard protested. "So can I have one of these?" Shepard asked raising one of the bottles. "Please?"

"One!" Doctor said emphatically.

"Oh come on..."

"One!"

"Okay, sure. You're the best Doc!" Shepard exclaimed, and retreated to sit on one of the ancient stone chairs at the back of the cavern to enjoy his newfound booze.

Doctor swallowed the pithy remark that was about to come out, and turned back to Rael, Liara, Saren and Wrex again. All four seemed amused and confused.

"Where are my manners?" Doctor said all of sudden. "Please. Sit. Sit."

A series of levitating flat surfaced rocks appeared behind the four. They wondered where those things came from, but at this point, they weren't even the least bit surprised. Cautiously, they each sat down. Saren – the most suspicious of all - sat last.

"What was that about?" Wrex asked, while looking at Shepard who by now was pleasantly drinking his scotch.

"Baby wanted his bottle," Doctor answered dryly, and then turned to the four of them. He stood before them, like a teacher talking to his students, his demeanor calm and casual.

"I understand that you have many questions," Doctor began, "but I will not be answering any of them. Instead, I will simply explain the situation with the Salarian Dalatrass... and Cerberus."

"Cerberus..." Wrex frowned. "Those cyborgs. That's what they are called? Cerberus?"

Doctor nodded. "Cerberus are... or were a human faction who broke away from the rest of our species. They found a way to free themselves from the Zone, but it came a terrible price..."

"Cybernetics?" Wrex asked.

"More complex than simple cybernetics. They used forbidden technology. In their attempt to free themselves from the Zone, they destroyed what's left of their humanity."

"What do they want?" Wrex asked the question with a growl.

"To free humanity from the Zone," Doctor answered then added almost sadly, "By trading one hellish existence for another."

"I don't understand," Liara said interrupting this time. "You said 'free themselves.' This place - this Zone - Are you saying your species are trapped here?" Liara had wondered why the Sta'kar had disappeared from the galaxy, but after what she just learned about the Zone and its relationship with Humanity, her mind began to understand.

Doctor smiled. "In a manner of speaking, yes, we are, but I do not wish to digress... No, _Dyevushka_ ," Doctor said almost chidingly as Liara began to insist. "That is an issue that is best discussed at a later date."

Liara seemed disappointed, but relented. There was no point in pushing the issue, and besides, she was eager to hear the rest of what Doctor had to say.

Doctor began to explain that Xunyon was a member of an ancient Salarian cult that worshipped the "Stokars," a cult started by Cerberus many thousands of years ago. They had used her to organize Edan Had'dah's expedition to "acquire" a specific relic: An algorithm that was housed in an ancient storage facility here in Shanxi.

Xunyon had bribed the Turian officers guarding Relay 314, planned Sokun's kidnapping and had taken care of backroom deals to make the whole thing work. The plan had been simple: Get in and get out. It would have worked too, had she not chosen a less than intelligent servant to carry out her task.

But Had'dah had been a very greedy Batarian. He did not see why he should take only one relic when there were plenty of others for him to take. If the Dalatrass only wanted the algorithms, she will have them, but as for him, he will take many other trophies as he can, enough to make him a power in Karshan.

This had proven to be a fatal error.

Had'dah had not known that despite the bribes, Turian High Command as well as the Citadel knew about his operation. Xunyon may have been able to bribe a garrison, but it was another matter to make sure that the big fish don't come after you.

None of this occured to the Batarian. Years operating in the Terminus had blinded him to the severity of the situation. Xunyon had urged him to hurry. He did not heed her, and so when Xunyon learned of his foolishness, she personally came down to salvage the situation.

By the time she arrvied, though, the situation was already a mess. A vanguard of Turian special forces had already deployed on Shanxi, while a Turian fleet had been dispatched to apprehend the conspirators. The Spectre Urdnot Wrex was also on his way at that time.

"I don't understand," Wrex interrupted. "If this Cerberus was after the algorithms, why didn't they just try and take it themselves? I saw what those _things_ were capable of. They killed a lot of men – my men."

It was Shepard who responded. "Had Cerberus attempted their little smash and grab on their own, we would have detected them. They use Noospheric technology, just like we do. And when that happens, we would have dropped the hammer on them." He paused to take a sip of scotch. "But that wasn't the case with Had'dah and that Dalatrass. We thought they were just looting the stuff up there. We just wanted them to leave, and by the time, we realized what it was they were after..."

"It was already too late," Wrex finished the sentence, suddenly understanding what had happened.

"That's right," Shepard continued. "You remember those pillars, right? The ones Xunyon brought with her?"

"The Null Field Projectors?"

"Yep, those prevented us from frying their skulls with the Brain Scorcher."

"Brain Scorcher?" Wrex asked.

It was Liara who explained. "A week or so after we arrived here, a _floating light_ appeared to Edan Had'dah's men." Liara looked at Doctor, who smiled at her knowingly. "It told us to leave. Edan Had'dah refused, and shortly afterwards, an energy field appeared on our excavation site. that seemed to emit some kind of 'psychic' field that caused intense pain."

"That was the Brain Scorcher," Shepard explained. "Just our little way of saying. 'Get the hell out or you'll piss off the Zone.'"

"Funny you should mention this _Brain Scorcher_ ," Saren piped up. "Those 'Projectors' didn't come from the Citadel. I'm certain of it. So that can only mean that they came from Ceberus, right?"

Shepard smiled.

Wrex was going to follow up with a question, but Saren beat him to it. "The Hierarchy sent a fleet to capture Had'dah. Nihlus and his men..." Saren choked back his emotions. " _We_ were sent to capture him ahead of the main assault, but the fleet never arrived. Something destroyed our ships. Was it Cerberus?"

Doctor nodded his head, and explained that one of Cerberus's Star Fortress, a massive mobile Space Station, had been waiting just outside Shanxi's star system. There was no need for Cerberus to intervene, but given Had'dah's incompetence and delay, they had been forced to act.

"The fleet sent by the Hierarchy to apprehend Xunyon was destroyed by Cerberus," Doctor said with a modicum of genuine sympathy. "And for that, I am sorry for their lives and the lives of all the other Turians who died up there." Then his eyes became cold and tired. "We tried to warn you," he whispered half to himself, "but you refused to listen."

Saren opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he realized that there was no benefit in a show of strong emotion, certainly not after his recent humiliation.

"We managed to break through," Wrex said, changing the subject. "My ship broke through 314. We didn't see anything. Neither the wreckage of the Turian fleet nor this Cerberus _fortress_ you're talking about."

Doctor nodded, acknowledging Wrex's point, and the old man summoned a screen for the benefit of his four guests. The image, which didn't seem to come from any particular source, showed an simplified image of a very large area of space just outside Shanxi's star system. A series of red dots then appeared to signify the areas where the Turian fleet had been ambushed.

"That is true," Doctor continued, "but they weren't expecting you, Spectre. Cerberus ambushed the Turians at this area..." His finger traced an area of space about one light hour from where the red dots clustered together. "They were waiting for a fleet. They weren't looking for individual ships."

"Are you saying we made it through because of dumb luck?" Wrex said a little angrily.

Duktur nodded then added. " If Cerberus had detected your ship, you wouldn't have reached Shanxi at all. And from what I understand, your ship had some kind of stealth device, da?"

"You found my ship?" Wrex said in excitement. "Where is it? Are there any other survivors"

"Stealth device?" Saren said suddenly in surprise, and both Rael and Liara looked surprised as well.

"It's still in orbit. Still a wreck. Right in the middle of an anomaly the size of a continent. I'm afraid we can't retrieve it at the moment. As for survivors, I'm afraid..." Doctor shrugged and shook his head."

Wrex felt bitter at that news. " My ship and crew are all dead."

"Yes," Doctor said. "But you're still alive."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better."

Doctor shrugged. "That's up to you."

"The phenomenon that destroyed your ship, Spectre was an emission," Shepard said. "I don't need to explain what they're like, but you four should know that the little firefight you had up there angered the Zone, and when the Zone is pissed off, it creates emissions - big ones too."

"There's still one question left here," Saren interrupted. "What so important about the algorithms that Cerberus wanted?"

Doctor sighed, and his face became sadder at some tragic memory. "Those algorithms were designed by the Reapers," he said, as though that was all they needed to know. "Cerberus – for reasons known only to them – needed Reaper algorithms, and the only way they can do that is to extract it from the Reapers themselves."

"What in the name of my ancestors' quads is a Reaper?" Wrex asked.

It was Shepard who responded. "Why don't you ask them?" He pointed at Liara and Rael.

Wrex turned to face the Asari and the Quarian, both of whom seemed to shiver at some terrible memory.

"What is he talking about?" Wrex demanded.

"Xunyon," Liara began hesitantly. "She brought me and Rael'Zorah down to a very large underground cavern. It had... machines. Wreckage really."

"Very large, extremely advanced wreckage more like it," Rael interjected. "It was Liara and Dr. Sokun's job to translate the language. My job was to extract a copy of the algorithm."

"I suspected as much," the Krogan Spectre growled. "So what did she want with these algorithms?"

"And what do you know about them?" Saren demanded, who was just as surprised as Wrex at the news.

"I don't know," answered Rael, "I think they may be related to astrogation charts, but I can't be sure."

"Can't be sure!" Saren snapped. "You expect me to..."

"Saren," Shepard said warningly as Saren tried to reach for Rael, "Play nice."

Saren glared at the human who responded by raising the scotch bottle in salute. Angrily, the Turian turned back to Doctor, who waited patiently in front of them. "So let me see if I understand all this. Cerberus was using Xunyon to steal an algorithm from giant machines that your species made thousands of years ago? This entire mess is centered around that?"

"Yes," Doctor said. "Except for one little point. We didn't create the Reapers."

Shepard then interjected to keep the old human from going into a long monologue.

"Here's summary: The Reapers were created about a billion years ago to periodically exterminate and 'harvest' sapient species. They return 50,000 to 100,000 years or so to do this. They exterminated all the elder races that came before - The Arthenn, the Inusannon, the Thoi'han, The Protheans... And they **will** do so again." He allowed the implication to linger like a dark prophecy.

All four of them stared at Shepard as though he had just said a sick joke.

"Are you telling me those machines down there," Rael said hesitantly, "wiped out the Prothean civilization."

"Yes," both Doctor and Shepard replied at the same time.

Again, the four were speechless. The claim was simply too absurb, even if Liara and Rael had seen the machines for themselves.

It was Liara who then voiced the obvious follow up question. "But your species are supposed to be as old as the Protheans. How did you survive?"

"That is... a long story," Shepard explained. "A very long, very painful story, which I will elaborate on at a later date, but for now, I will tell you this. About 10,000 years ago, the Reapers – hundreds of thousands of them – attacked the Zone, intent on wiping out our entire species. We held them for a while, barely held them; but we were... betrayed, and outflanked, and our defenses collapsed."

Wrex, Rael, Liara and Saren were dumbfounded by what they just heard. A thousand questions erupted into their minds, but they remained speechless. A strange epic began to form in their minds, a vague comprehension of how the universe actually worked, and they felt small and miniscule for it. _Betrayed by who? Hundreds of thousands of killer starships?_

"Once the Reapers had the upper hand," Shepard continued, "we had no other choice. We used the only weapon we had left: The Zone. We overloaded a device that kept the Zone in check: The C-Consciousness. The act was basically the equivalent of overloading a nuclear power plant to destroy an attacking army."

The four of them looked more perplexed as Shepard continued. What is the C-Consciousness?

"We unleashed the Zone. We unleashed a great emission that covered all human space. Hundreds of planets and who knows how much space – covered by an extremely powerful and unique emission." Shepard paused, his face grim with painful memories. "It destroyed most of the Reapers and shattered their attack, but that singular act also destroyed whatever hope we had of ever fixing the Zone."

He took a swig and became morose and silent.

It was Doctor's turn to speak this time. "After that... _tragedy_ , the Reapers and all of our other enemies retreated, leaving us to..." he struggled to find the right words. "leaving us to _this._ " He chuckled to himself.

For a little while, the four of them were speechless, but it was Saren who recovered from his shock first.

"A billion years?" Saren said sarcastically. "Are you sure you're not off by a few digits?"

"Saren!" Liara hissed.

"Have you heard what they just said? Billion year old giant robots killed off the Protheans! That's a load of shit, and they know it. They're making fun of us."

"Believe it or not, it's the truth. Either way, we don't care," Shepard said, and then followed it up with a small burp.

Rael, who was just as skeptical as Saren, spoke up. "I saw the machines, Saren. They're real, and extremely advanced. They also spoke to us." Rael looked at Liara then at Doctor. "They called your kind abominations. They were also calling out to us. They said that you are a threat to the galaxy."

Doctor and Shepard exchanged glances. They had no other recourse.

"Yes, that is true." Shepard answered. "Because the Reapers were designed to prevent organic species from developing Noospheric technology. They were created to prevent the creation of Zones."

* * *

The new revelation about the humans and their wars with the Reapers came as a shock to the four survivors. Even now, they still had a hard time believing it. Even Liara and Rael who had seen the Reaper wreckage with their own eyes struggled to process all this new information.

"About the vault..." Wrex began but the Krogan Spectre was interrupted.

"No more questions for now," Doctor said. "You can ask more later, but for now, we need to start your medical exams."

"Our exams?" Wrex asked suspiciously.

"You were exposed to one of the Zone's emissions. You're lucky Shepard over there managed to protect you at that time. Otherwise..." Doctor paused to reconsider what he was going to say. "Things would not be good right now."

The four survivors looked at each other, suddenly wary and a little afraid, but before they could make any objections, Doctor was already moving towards them. He went to Liara first, and from his robes, he removed a strange cube-shaped device that reminded Liara of a detector. He then placed it close to Liara's head, causing her to fidget a bit. She felt a strange aura cover her mind, prodding it with alien sensations. It felt like a veil had come upon her, looking at her deepest thoughts.

"Just relax. It will all be alright," Doctor said. "There! All done."

"Should I be concerned?" Liara asked.

Doctor shook his head.

Next, he went to Wrex and repeated the same process. The Krogan also noticed the strange aura and sensations that invaded his mind, but managed to conceal his fears quite well.

Doctor smiled at the Krogan once he was finished and then moved on to Rael. The Quarian complied, but Doctor spent a lot more time on him than either Wrex and Liara. The sickly light from the strange machine glared against Rael's suit's visor, making him appear like a faceless creature.

"Anything wrong?" Rael asked hesitantly when the human seemed disturbed about something.

"No," Doctor said smiling, but Rael felt like he was hiding something from him. "You're quite fine." Rael didn't believe him.

Finally, the human stood in front of Saren, but the Turian was uncooperative. Saren began to back away.

"I'll pass," Saren said.

"I'm afraid it's not optional," Doctor replied.

"Dammit, Saren!" Wrex snapped. "Just get it over with. It's safe."

"No!" Saren snapped then glared at Rael, Wrex and Liara. "If the three of you want to put yourselves under the power of these _humans_ , that's your choice, but I will not subject myself to monsters."

"Saren!" Liara said, shocked, but Doctor only looked amused.

"You dumb Asari bitch!" Saren snapped back at Liara, but he intended it for the three of them. "Have you forgotten that your Salarian friend is dead because of them? Or you Spectre!" He turned to Wrex, who was glaring at him. "Have you forgotten that your entire crew died because of _their_ _Zone?_ They created it. Even this _Cerberus_ are supposed to be a faction of humans. Shepard readily admits it! You three act like children! You have foolishly forgotten that we're prisoners here."

"You're not prisoners," Doctor interrupted calmly, before Wrex or Liara could answer. "You're our guests."

"Spare me the mendacity," Saren growled.

"I'm not lying. If you were our prisoner," and Doctor's smile gave Saren pause, " _you would know it_. Now! Let me examine you!"

"No!"

" _Please_ let me examine you."

"No," Saren growled, and he moved forward to push back Doctor, daring him. "If you want to 'examine' me, you'll have to use your telepathic powers, because there's no way in the Spirits' underworld, that you can physically force me to do anything."

Unbeknownst to Saren, a smile appeared on Shepard's face, but he did nothing. He knew, as Doctor knew, that Saren thought humans were physically frail. His assumption could not be further from the truth.

Wrex, however, realized that Saren's Turian pride was getting them into trouble, and was about to move forward to deescalate the situation.

"Saren! That's enough," Wrex snapped at him.

"What are you going to do about it, Citadel scum!" Saren snarled back. "I know why you came here! The Hierarchy knows. You want to steal what is rightfully ours!"

Doctor and Shepard shared a wan smile at each other, amused that anyone could foolishly think to conquer the Zone, or that the species that they once helped to uplift now claimed one of their worlds for their own.

"Mister Arterius!" Doctor growled, and there was now something menacing about the human. "This is for your own good!"

"I will decide what is for my own good," Saren exclaimed. Doctor, however, moved closer, ignoring his opposition.

Saren swatted away the cube-shaped device from Doctor's hand. Wrex stood up, but Shepard warned him to stay put.

"Doc can take care of himself, Wrex. Just sit down," Shepard said and continued drink his bottle of scotch – his second one now – as though nothing was happening.

Doctor picked up his cube, and tried approaching Saren once more, and once more Saren swatted the device away. He then pushed the old human away from him.

"I will never submit to you or any other monster."

"Saren! That's enough!" Liara cried, as she stood up from her floating chair to defend Doctor. Bu before she could move forward, she experienced a strong urge to sit back down. She blinked in surprise and realized where that urge came from.

She looked at Shepard, who returned her gaze and shook his head.

 _Doctor can take care of himself._ Shepard told her telepathically.

Doctor had once again picked up the cube examination device, and he looked at Saren pleadingly. "Please..." he said, humbly but with dignity, "let me examine you."

"No," Saren said and he raised his right arm to swat away the medical device once more.

But the blow never came.

Doctor moved with blinding speed, and before Wrex could intervene, Saren was face down on the floor, with the human's knee planted on top of his back. The Turian tried to fight back, but Doctor swatted his blows away like they were nothing. Saren yelped, as Doctor found a sensitive nerve underneath the armored carapace on his neck, and pressed down with a finger.

Saren screamed. And Wrex, Liara and Rael stood up from their chairs in shock by the old human's speed and ferocity.

"I'm not an expert on Turian anatomy," Doctor said, like a father disciplining a wayward son. "But I have studied it... oh, maybe 12,000 years ago. Perhaps, I should review what I've learned."

"Please," Saren whimpered.

"Now!" Doctor said, ignoring Saren's pleas, as he held up the device close to Saren's face, "just relax. This will be over in less than a minute. Easy! There! All done. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Doctor tried to help Saren up, but the Turian refused his hand, and scrambled as far away from Doctor as possible, a wounded animal with a massive boulder on its shoulder.

The Turian glared at the ancient human, expecting some snide, sarcastic smile, but all he found was weariness and... concern. _The Spirit-damned monster was actually concerned for him_. Saren didn't know why, but that infuriated him even more. He understood contempt and battle. He understood sarcasm and insults. Those things meant that your enermy feared you.

But if he pitied you... He didn't really know how to respond to that.

"Well!" It was Shepard who broke the tense silence that now came over them. "Now, that that's over, what do you wanna do next?"

"What do you mean?" Wrex asked suspiciously.

"We meant what we said, _Mr._ Wrex," Shepard said, and the warrior in him, was irritated by that title. "You're not our prisoners. So now that you finished your medical exam." Shepard drained the last drops of scotch and wiped his mouth with his arm. "What do you wanna do now?"

"First of all, that's Spectre Urdnot Wrex to you, Stalker..." Wrex said, correcting Shepard, and the human seemed surprised by that. And secondly..." To his surprise, Wrex didn't really know what to do. On the one hand, he was curious about a lot of things, but then again, he reminded himself that he was trapped in some underground labyrinth **_in_** a planet inhabited by an elder alien race. What was he supposed to do? "And secondly..."

"Ummm," Wrex found his lack of answer embarassing. "What do you suggest?"

Shepard looked blankly at him, as though he didn't hear Wrex.

"Wha- What?" Shepard asked a bit absent-mindedly, his telepathic voice seeming a little disoriented. "Sorry. De ja vue."

"De ja – what?" Liara asked, concerned.

"An odd memory," Doctor explained. "Shepard has many dreams, don't you, boy?"1

Shepard snorted before opening a new bottle.

Doctor turned to his guests and gently said, "if you want suggestions, I would refer you to Joker. He can be your guide."

All four of them didn't like the idea. They remembered how Joker – the Controller – had telepathically frozen their muscles. It had been an unpleasant experience.

Wrex considered this carefully, and in the end, his curiosity overcame his fears. "I'm interested in speaking with other humans," he said, letting Doctor figure out the implications

Doctor smiled back, amused at the Krogan's attempt at subtlety. "Representatives of the closest thing we have to a government - the Great Factions - will speak with you later, but for now, your options are simple. To return to the Oasis to rest or to explore around," Doctor said and then added, "within reasonable and safe limits of course."

"Are the other parts of your ... um... what would you call this place? Underground eldritch race tomb labyrinth? Yeah that sounds about right. Is your underground eldritch race tomb labyrinth safe?" Wrex paused as Doctor and Shepard chuckled at that comment.

"To answer your question, our underground eldritch race tomb labyrinth is called Bunker Node 21-C, but feel free to call it whatever you like," Doctor answered smiling. "As for it being safe. Well, nothing is really safe in the Zone. Not even us, but if there is such a thing as safety then you will most likely find it here."

"Bunker Nodes? Nodes of what?" Rael asked.

"Of the C-Consciousness," Shepard clarified.

"And what is the C-Consciousness?"

"Nyet!" Doctor cried out jokingly. "That comes later, eh. I am too old, and I grow weary of talking too much. So, have you made up your mind?" He turned to Wrex.

Wrex paused for a moment then shrugged, as though it no longer mattered. "Sure, I'll tour around."

"Good! Don't forget to take notes, like a good spy, da?" Doctor said jokingly.

"Are you mocking me?" Wrex growled.

"Never!" Doctor answered. "But you are a Spectre, and from what I've heard of your _type_ , you would be a poor one if you weren't good at spying."

Wrex didn't answer, but he did smile at Doctor.

"And you my dear Quarian?" Doctor asked, as he turned to Rael.

Rael paused for a moment and then made up his mind. "My daughter enjoys stories of your species. I suppose I should try to get to know more about the great and ancient _Sakars_."

"There's nothing 'great' about humanity," Shepard said dryly.

"And you two?" Doctor asked Saren and Liara.

"I want to leave this hellish planet of yours," Saren answered.

"Not an option at the moment," Doctor answered.

"Then I want to get away from you... from all of you!"

Doctor nodded his head without rancor. "And you Dyevushka?" He turned to Liara.

"I..." Liara hesitated a bit. "Would it be possible to stay with you for awhile?"

"To talk?" Doctor said with some weariness in his voice. He wanted to rest and drink, not talk.

"Yes!" She said beaming.

Doctor sighed, as the young Asari's smile disabled his defenses. "Very well," he said. "Very well."

As if on cue, Joker emerged from the Bubble Anomaly looking a bit groggy. This time, though, he wore a colorful robe that made him look like an official rather than a mischievous mind-controlling monstrosity.

"Do I really have to do this, Kommandir?" He whined.

"Yes!" Shepard said, while drinking a recently refilled glass of scotch. Doctor noticed the third bottle, but was too gentle-natured to say anything.

As Rael, Saren and Wrex began to leave for the Bubble, Doctor telepathically called out to the Turian.

 _"Saren, you are right about one thing,"_ Doctor said sadly. _"Humans are monsters. You are right to be suspicious of us.."_

Saren turned back to look at Doctor. The human was smiling at him.

* * *

Shortly after, Saren, Wrex and Rael left, Doctor walked back to the chair he had been sitting on when his guests first appeared, then sat down. He was not really weary, not physically anyway, but he was disturbed, and it seemed as though, he had forgotten that Shepard and Liara were still in the room with him.

 _"How unlucky I am that this should happen to me. But not at all. Perhaps, say how lucky I am that I am not broken by what has happened, and I am not afraid of what is about to happen,"_ _he told himself._

"What?" Liara asked curiously, not understanding the strange human words. "What did you say?"

"He was quoting some old book. Doc likes to quote ancient human philosophers," Shepard explained. "Makes him feel as though our shit existence isn't that shitty."

"And you drank more than one bottle," Doctor retorted, frowning at Shepard.

"I thought I was allowed to!"

Doctor rolled his eyes. _Why do I even bother,_ he thought. Doctor then turned to Liara, and the Asari suddenly became aware of his attention.

"You wanted to talk, Dyevushka?" he said calmly, inviting her closer to him. "Well, come now. Let's talk."

Liara obeyed, and as she came closer, she got a better look at his features, very similar to Shepard's, who was the first human she ever saw. Sparse, thin white colored hair covered his head, while his wrinkly face was dominated by sad, tired eyes.

Like Shepard, he also stank of cheap vodka. Liara had drank cheap Thessian vodka before, and it smelled and tasted like nail polish mixed with turpentine, nothing at all like real, quality vodka, which didn't have any smell or taste.

Yes, the humans reminded her of that smell.

 _An elder alien race of alcoholics._ Despite herself, Liara began to chuckle, and her hand shot up to her mouth when she remembered the _mind-reading thing_.

"Believe me, Dyevushka," Doctor said, "I'm not offended. what you're thinking is certainly true. An old race of folly-bound drunks is a good description for humanity."

"I..." Liara smiled to herself, and she didn't know what to say. The old man's candor and sense of humor was disarming, so she spit out the first thing that came to her mind. "I don't know what to say. You're not supposed to exist, or at least... There are still some Asari who worship you, you know? Even in this day and age, they still pray to the Great Duktur to come and heal them. And... I'm rambling." She laughed at herself. This was all so surreal.

Doctor looked saddened by that news. "I never asked to be a god."

"And yet we turned you into one," Liara answered. "Legends say that you taught the Asari medicine and healing."

Doctor's eyes seemed a little happier at that news, and he smiled. "I taught a little girl and her friends how to take care of fevers, wounds and bruises. Nothing more." His voice sounded so weary, yet so warm. In the shadows of the cavern, he seemed like an ancient tree, wise yet full of regret.

And yet Liara found the old human's smile warm, and she suddenly felt a faint desire to come to Doctor and hug him. There was something about him that made her feel safe, but she quickly dismissed such impressions, reminding herself of what he did to Saren as well as his telepathic abilities.

Then she noticed something. _He said girl. A little girl._

"Hita!" Liara said the name excitedly. "According to legend, you gave Hita a magical talisman that she used to heal Asari kind."

To her surprise, Doctor said nothing. Instead, his hand searched for something in one of the pockets of his drab grey robe. When it came out, it held a glowing orb, and Doctor threw it at Liara, who caught the thing easily.

It glowed with strange, alien energies.

"I gave her one of that. We call it a Soul artifact," Doctor said. "The naturally occurring ones are radioactive..."

Upon hearing the word, radioactive, Liara dropped the glowing _thing_ and backed away.

Doctor smiled, as the artifact floated up and returned to its master's hand. Doctor then put it back inside his coat. "But this one was manufactured. No radioactive properties and more powerful. It can also absorb radiation, instead of emitting it. We usually use these as all-in-one first aid kits."

Liara was dubious, but even the radioactive story did not reduce her excitement. Her eyes were filled with excitement, and despite herself, she beamed at Doctor.

"I want to know everything!" She almost yelled, overcome with both child-like excitement and academic obssession. "Everything."

"Everything?" Doctor said the word with surprise.

"Yes! Tell me everything. About you. Your life. Hita. How you came to Thessia. I don't care if you've been alive for a trillion years. I want to learn it all. And I want to..." Liara suddenly realized what she was doing and stopped, but the excitement was difficult to control, and she stood there, her blue face bright with happiness. Shepard, who was still busy draining another one of Doctor's scotch bottles (his fourth one now), rolled his eyes at her girlish display. "I have... so many questions. So many..."

"I don't have time to recount everything that I've done for the past 48,000 years," Doctor replied like an irritated, though secretly amused, father.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just..."

"Let me finish," Doctor said raising his hand to quiet her. "However, I do have time to share how I first arrived on Thessia oh, about 30,000 years ago."

"38,000," Shepard corrected in between gulps. "Around 10,100 to 10,200 CE to be exact. If I'm not messing up the dates again."

"Weren't you supposed to be leaving?" Doctor snapped.

Shepard said nothing, raised both of his hands to placate the older Stalker and began to back away towards the doorway. He left, but not before grabbing his fourth scotch bottle.

"Honestly," Doctor said. "They behave like so many children sometimes – thieving, dangerous, violent children."

"Your fellow humans?" Liara asked timidly.

"My fellow Stalkers," Doctor said flatly, as though stating an uncomfortable truth. "And it is my unpleasant duty to be their baby sitter."

Liara didn't answer, but she chuckled a bit, and soon, she was laughing, and Doctor laughed with her.

"Anyway, Dyevushka," Doctor said, turning his attention back to her. "I came to Thessia because of - what we humans call - the Second Long, Dark War."

The mention of a war aroused Liara's interest. She had just learned about two major human wars in this visit. Suddenly, she felt like she was witnessing some kind of sci-fi story. There had been many novels throughout Asari history about how the Protheans protected the galaxy from evil. There had been some Sta'kar stories too, but not as many.

But now! She was at the forefront of discovering something epic, a true epic. Here she was speaking to a creature tens of thousands of years old, talking about a galaxy spanning war that happened millennia ago.

"This war. Can you tell me more about it?" She asked, but Doctor frowned at the question.

"I can tell you about the war _Dyevushka_ , or I can tell you about my arrival on your planet, but I don't have the time to do both." He then smiled slyly. "You must choose."

Now it was Liara's turn to frown. She felt as though the old creature was toying with her, but she didn't know how. "The latter," Liara answered. "But I want to learn about the rest at a later time." She said in a frustrated and somewhat imperious tone, her academic curiosity overcoming her manners.

"I am at your service, young lady," Doctor said as he gave her a low bow. "So how should we begin… Ah, once upon a time…"

* * *

I was sick and they cast me out,

I was sick and they left me,

I was sick and they gave me to the goddess' mercy

As the vomiting plague afflicted my village,

One by one my kin and friends fell to its dark embrace

Until one day, I too became ill

And fearing the contagion, my people banished me and my last two sisters to the goddess' shrine

There, to wait for death

I waited for death and I was afraid

I waited for death and madness consumed me

I waited for death and hope drained from my heart

Then in the darkest night, when I, Hita, second daughter of Su'ut, was about to die,

He came to me – Yea, he, for he was not kindred to the Asari – a being of light he was.

"Duktur" his name is, and he claimed to be of the race of "Sta'kars."

He said unto me, Hita, daughter of the world, young maiden, why do you weep?

I told him that soon, I shall follow my dead mother and sisters

Despair claimed me and I began to weep before him.

And Duktur – taking pity upon me – raised his hand to heal me.

He healed me

And I was healed

He healed me

And I was no longer afraid

He healed me

And I lived...

The Psalm of Hita, Chapter 3 Verse 21

* * *

Thessia, 38,000 years ago.

Hita raised her eyes to her village's statue of the Great Goddess, Athame, and begged for mercy, but only four cold, stone eyes answered her. Athame would not grant her wishes.

Hita coughed and a little spittle of blue blood fell from her lips. She was cold, hungry and she knew that she will be dead soon; the last of her family. Against that certainty, she tightened the bits of torn leather hide around her naked back and curled up on the cold grass to dream of happier days.

Beside her, were her sisters, both dead, blood and vomit pouring out of their mouths. They both died of the vomiting plague hours ago. Their mother, Su'ut had died days ago, and their other sisters before that.

They were among the many Asari who died in their village and in the villages beyond.

The priestesses of the goddess said that this was divine retribution. They proclaimed that the world had sinned; Thessia had sinned and the goddess was punishing them. That was the only answer.

She prayed again, but no miracle or sign came to her, save for the soft whispers of avian scavengers nearby. They will have a feast soon.

The pain was getting worse now. It covered her entire body, and her breathing became painful.

As Hita began to lose consciousness, she felt a bright light come from up high. At first, she thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but she soon saw that it was some kind of flying… thing. She had no words to describe it save that was marvellous and terrible.

It was loud and bright, with fires burning from apertures on its lower surface, and Hita was afraid that such fires would consume the earth around her, torching the ground.

But instead the thing, landed with a soft thump close to the clearing of the shrine, causing the nearby trees to bend and crack.

From this strange flying thing, emerged two beings, and they terrified her. Hita would have ran and cowered, but she was too weak from her sickness, so all she could do was cower in despair.

As they emerged, one of the creatures turned to her, its face an empty blank glass, its skin covered by some kind of slick black material – the flesh of devils. Hita prayed that he would turn away and leave her to die peacefully, but it did not. It went to her, like the very avatar of Death itself, empty and terrible.

It knelt down to her, and seemed to observe her condition.

"Did the goddess send you? Am I to be punished."

"No and no," the creature said, but she heard him with her thoughts, not with her ears, and she became afraid.

The creature then began to examine her body, poking its Asari-like fingers on Hita's back, and the blood on her lips.

Meanwhile, the other creature seemed to be investigating the shrine (probably checking for sacrifices, Hita thought) and was speaking to itself in some strange and otherworldly language.

" _This is Recon team three reporting. No Prothean artifacts found. I repeat. There are no Prothean artifacts on Beta site. Only a local shrine made by the natives. There are also several pockets of radioactivity in the area. Preliminary investigation is inconclusive. Request new objective_." The creature waited for a response. " _Okay, copy that. Analyzing now."_

The first creature investigated the shrine a second time, pointing a strange object at the dirt around the shrine and then at the surrounding areas.

 _Confirmed trace elements of Noospheric disruption. They are consistent with Monolith based technology. Requesting new orders… Alright. Heading home._ _Doc! Come on!_ "

The second creature turned to regard his partner, said something and then shook its head. He turned back to Hita and began to take strange items from its black flesh, some of which made her afraid of even looking at them.

"What are you doing?" She rasped.

"Healing you," the creature said, and he stabbed her with some kind of needle, and Hita yelped, but said nothing. Next, the creature brought out a magical talisman of some kind, a glowing orb and he held it close to Hita who felt its warm glow cover her.

" _Doc!_ " the first creature snapped, as he saw what the second creature was doing.

" _Yes, Zaeed_ ," the second creature replied. " _I remember my orders: Don't interact with the natives._ "

"Then what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I am disobeying my orders."

"Dammit, Doc if you compromise this-"

"Dyegtyarev and Anderson will give my wrinkled, old buttocks a painful spanking," Doctor said sarcastically. "I know. Now, please be quiet. I need to concentrate."

The other creature didn't say anything more, but he still looked agitated, skittishly moving back and forth.

The faceless _thing_ _then_ placed the glowing object on her breast, and to her surprise, the light began to heal her, taking away the vile illness within her body. As the magical orb glow became stronger, Hita felt her limbs becoming stronger. Slowly, the pain in her lungs and torso began to fade away, and she felt herself becoming healthier.

But she also grew sleepy, and Hita soon felt herself slowly falling into blessed sleep. Though the faceless creature did not say anything, she knew with certainty that it is healing her, and that she will no longer die.

"What are you?" Hita asked faintly, forcing herself to stay awake.

The two beings looked at each other.

"Don't tell her anything," the creature's companions snapped, his tone adamant. "Our orders are not to reveal anything to the natives, including and especially the name of our species."

"I know my orders, boy!" the creature snapped back. "Now shut up!"

The other creature seemed to hesitate, and it became quiet.

Hita looked back at the creature kneeling before her, and again, Hita asked her question pleadingly, sleep very close to claiming her: "Please, what are you?" Her voice was a gently whisper.

The creature that healed her seemed to hesitate, but quickly decided on a course of action, as though what his companion said had changed his mind.

"My name is Doctor. I'm a hu...," the creature hesitated then said, "I'm a Stalker."

Hita looked up at him with happy eyes, trying to imprint the strange sounds into her deepest memory, but it all felt like a strange dream, vague and unreal.

"Duktur," Hita said. "Sta'kar."

"You shouldn't have done that Doc," the other human said.

"Yes, Zaeed," Doctor answered before taking away the Soul artifact from the Asari girl's chest. "You reminded me several times already. Now let's go."

Hita ignored the brief altercation and focused on what Doctor had told her. She frowned at the strange words, and tried repeating it even as her consciousness began to slip deeper and deeper into rest.

"Duk'tur," She said repeating the name to her self. "Sta'kar."

"Will I see you again, my lord?" She whispered out to him, shortly before she passed out.

"Perhaps," the creature answered in its gentle thought-voice, and then he got up and entered their strange flying metal rock. The strange object then roared into life, throwing dust and debris in all directions, and then it flew up and up and up until it was only a spark in the dark sky.

"Duktur. Sta'kar," Hita moaned the strange words in her dream. "Duktur. Stakar."

* * *

1 - In Chapter 10, there is a dream sequence where Shepard (while inside the Super Emission) dreamed of Wrex saying, "That's Spectre Urdnot Wrex to you Stalker" along with other future events.


	20. Chapter 20

The silence pervaded Liara's glorified padded room. Garrus was quiet, and Vasir looked at Liara suspiciously, as though searching for some clues about her thoughts.

"So let me get this straight," Tela Vasir finally said in a sarcastic tone, breaking the silence, "you met a fifty thousand year old alien from ancient history in an underground facility infested with monsters, and then he told you his life story. Hmmm." Vasir chuckled to herself. "That's a… good story. Really. That's a nice story. You should become a novelist."

"You don't believe me," Liara said hoarsely. It was not a question.

"Oh, I believe you met something down there," the Asari Spectre answered. "Now, whether that creature was actually a Sta'kar is up for debate."

Liara said nothing, but she smiled serenely, indifferent to Vasir's mocking tone.

"Shall I continue?" Liara asked.

"Of course," Vasir answered. "Let's hear more about the Great Healer himself."

* * *

Liara's head was spinning, and she instantly wished she had not tried the _vodka_ Doctor kept sipping from his flask.

"I'm – I'm fine," she said more to herself.

"Of course you are," Doctor replied chuckling.

"What was that vodka made of?" Liara complained.

"Trust me," Doctor said grinning, "you don't want to know."

Liara looked at him with a mixture of unease and curiosity.

"We Stalkers make our own vodka," Doctor explained, "and explosives. Most ingredients we use to make our booze, we also use to create explosives… and some other things that you probably don't want to know."

Liara looked at him aghast. "I guess I don't want to know."

"Now!" Doctor said, taking another sip from his flask. "You were going to ask me about the temple in _Kalnay_ , da?"

"Yes. You said in your story that you and your partner, Zaeed, were looking for Prothean artifacts at one of the holy shrines of Athame. The implications of that… Are you seriously telling me that the Asari Goddesses were actually Protheans?"

Doctor paused a bit, as though what she just said was somehow common knowledge. "Yes," he answered flatly.

"I…" Liara groaned. "I find that unsettling."

"Why should you be unsettled? Your people worshiped my people as a race of magical pixies. Why are you surprised to learn that what your people actually thought of as gods were actually the Protheans?"

Liara glared at Doctor for his flippant attitude, "This is all so unsettling."

"Yes, you've already said so before."

Liara ignored the little barb, and decided to shift gears.

"I've been to Kalnay during my senior year. No Prothean artifacts were ever found there."

"Da," Doctor answered. "That's because I had to destroy it all. What was left had to be disposed of"

"You destro…" Liara couldn't finish the words. "In Citadel space, Prothean artifacts are considered…"

"Treasures, I know, but this particular artifact was no treasure, or at least, it wasn't for the Asari who lived close to the 'Goddess'' shrine. The four-eyes buried a weapons cache not too far from Kalnay, and the Monolith boys tinkered with the contents until it began to leak radiation. That's what the plague actually was. It was radiation."

"Four eyes?"

"The Protheans. That's what we called them when we found them."

Liara was dumbfounded. "You met the Protheans? They… had four eyes! What were they like? Are they like you? Where are they now? How did you…"

"Liara!" Doctor chided. "One question at a time! Now, which would you like me to answer?"

Liara let out a cry of frustration, as if she wanted a million different things to happen simultaneously. "Okay… Okay. I'm not going to lose my nerve," she told herself, even as Doctor eyed her with amusement.

She forced herself to go back to the beginning, though she was sorely tempted to digress to other things. Slowly but surely, the pieces of the puzzle began to form in Liara's head. The Protheans, the legends, the war Doctor spoke of. They all began to create a picture.

"Okay, let's take a few steps back this… what did you call them… Monolith? Yes, Monolith were looking for Prothean weapons to use against your people in the war?"

"No," Doctor corrected. "The Monolith were looking for Prothean relics because they wanted to find the Protheans, and we were determined to deny them their goal."

A dozen questions popped into Liara's mind, but she focused on the subject at hand that intrigued her most. "The legends about your people say that you fought evil sorcerers that could summon demons. Going by what you said earlier, I'm guessing those sorcerers are the Monolith?"

Doctor shrugged. "They're your legends. Not ours. I can't say for sure," he said, again flippantly.

"Okay, so how about this: What is exactly are the Monolith?"

"Ah, now that is a complicated question, and there are two answers. One, there is Monolith the group, and two, there is the Monolith the entity. Both are tied together, because the Monolith, or the Wish Granter as some call it, is a gestalt entity that was created by the _original_ C-Consciousness in the earliest days of the Zone. The Monolith exists as the collective hive mind of humans who have… _embraced_ the Zone, and consequently, have become its servants."

"I don't unde…"

"Imagine it this way," Doctor explained, "imagine a hive of insects with a central entity or queen. The hivequeen cannot exist without the insects, just as each of the individual insects cannot exist without the hive. That is 'The Monolith,' a Gestalt entity that exists through its constituent parts. It is essentially, a Noospheric entity, a Psychic A.I."

 _Psychic A.I._ That sounded like something out of science fantasy.

"And what does the Monolith want?" Liara asked.

"Oh, that's simple," Doctor replied. "It wants to protect the Zone and help it subvert humanity."

"I don't understand. How can…"

"Liara," Doctor interrupted. "The Zone is alive, but it is not conscious the way an individual being is conscious. It is a force of nature, a power that is driven by its own inertia. It created the Monolith to do what it cannot do, to be what it cannot be. The Zone cannot think in the way that you and I think, but the Monolith can."

Liara thought about this for a moment then asked. "But they are all gone, right? The Monolith and its followers" Liara asked. "Humans have defeated them."

Doctor sighed before answering, "No, and they… It is still out there, waiting for a chance to return."

"So the war you talked about earlier. You were fighting the Monolith?"

"Da."

"And they came to Thessia, looking for clues to find the Protheans?"

"Da."

"Why?"

"Because the Protheans were destroyed by the only force in the galaxy that could threaten the Zone: The Reapers. The Monolith was looking for the Reapers, and they believed that the Protheans knew how to find them. We didn't know this at the time, but we would eventually. Oh yes, we paid for our ignorance in blood…"

* * *

And so I was banished from my village.

The matriarch-elders proclaimed that I had consorted with dark powers to save my life.

They said of Duktur the Stakar that he was a demon come to torment the true followers of the goddesses.

"And where is this faceless creature and his magical vessel, Hita?" They asked after my return.

"It flew up into the stars," said I.

And they mocked me and spat at me, calling me a Putra-Yakshi, a witch whore.

 _"Witch Whore. Witch Whore."_ The goddess' priestesses cried, and the rest of the tribe could not protect me, for they believe me to be cursed. "You and your magics have brought illness to our tribe. Nay! Don't protest. Hita, second daughter of Su'ut, is dead. You are a Putra-Yakshi who has claimed her body."

Then I cried, "Oh cruel fates. Thou hast cast me out before and thou would banish me again! Has not the Goddess proclaimed love and mercy! Why do you torment me so?"

"Quiet Witch Whore. Thou shall not desecrate the pure name of Athame!"

And they lay their hands upon me, determined to spill my blood to appease the goddess' wrath, but the tribal elders defied them. And instead of execution, I was banished to the wastes, there to die among beasts and flowers.

Then my own tribe lay fist and feet upon me, and beat me with whips of straw. And they drove me from my home back into the wildlands.

I ran and I bled.

I ran and I wept.

I ran and called out to the goddess for mercy.

At last, I returned to the shrine, hoping to die on the same place where I was meant to die.

I prayed, but another answered my prayers.

There Duktur, on the shrine, found me once more.

He nursed me and healed, and took me to a secret cave where he watched over the world. And I, Hita, became his servant-daughter, and he my lord-father…

\- The Psalm of Hita Chapter 5, Verse 1

* * *

"… And where is the Monolith fleet now?" Doctor asked.

"We still don't know, but we're close. You don't have to worry though. If they circle back to Thessia, we will catch them," Dyegtyarev replied. "In the event of…"

The sound of a young girl's cheerful voice interrupted Doctor's concentration, disrupting the psi-connection between him and Dyegtyarev.

"Duk'tur! Duk'tur! Look, what I found! Look what I found!"

"Your little friend is calling you, Doc," Dyegtyarev said.

"Indeed she is. Probably caught one of the local freshwater fishes."

"Just so you know. Some _Duty_ and _Ecologist_ officers heard about that stunt you pulled, and they don't like it. They say you might go native."

"Then kindly please tell the factions that I'm sorry, and I promise not to contact any more natives. Will that make them happy?" Doctor said sarcastically.

"Remember why we're doing this, Doc," Dyegtyarev warned. "The only reason we've been chosen for these kinds of missions is because of politics. Politics!" Dyegtyarev's psi-voice was emphatic. "You and I both know what will happen if the Factions get pissed."

"I know!" Doctor snapped back. "Believe me, I know."

"Good. The situation is very delicate. There's no need to complicate things," Dyegtyarev said somewhat apologetically. "Is there anything else?"

"I heard you're planning to come to Thessia soon. Is that true?"

"Maybe," Dyegtyarev answered. "I can't confirm anything. We're still investigating Tuchanka and Rannoch. But, maybe… Just maybe, there's a major Monolith force close to the largest Asari settlement. Maybe we have learned that such a settlement contains a great deal of intel about the Protheans and what the Monolith are after. Maybe."

"Ah! And maybe you'll tell me what's going on behind the scenes, perhaps?"

"Duk'tur! Come see!" Hita's lilting voice cried.

"I'll talk to you later Doc. Do Pobachenya."

"And you, Colonel."

The levitating Psi-Crystal floated down onto Doctor's gnarled hand, and he put it inside his pocket, then he got up from his sitting position near the cave wall and looked at the young Asari girl smiling brightly at him outside. She stood at the mouth of the cave, and beyond it, he could see the dense tropical forests below, lush and green on a hot Thessian day.

"Were you talking to another Sta'kar?" She asked, panting.

"Well, I wasn't talking to him," Doctor said.

"Of course you were talking. You spoke to each other's minds using your magic stones," she said, as she put down a large pink colored fish with an enormous fanged maw onto the cave floor.

"They are not magic stones," Doctor answered, somewhat annoyed. "They are Psi-Crystals, and they create a Quantum Entanglement field that allows for FTL communications. There is no magic involved!"

"Well, you can call them whatever you, like my fur-covered lord, but it is still magic," Hita then ran up to wide eyed Doctor and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I brought dinner!"

"I have my own food," Doctor took an MRE from his coat, but Hita took it away and put it in the back of the cave along with his other belongings.

"No! Your Em'ar'ees taste like dead _Yukati_. You'd think Gods would have divine food, but apparently that's not the case. Tonight, we eat real food! I shall cook!" She said beaming. "Look!" She pointed at the fish, it's head bloody where Hita's spear had pierced its skull.

"Okay, girl. Okay. Cook for us." Duktur grumbled.

Hita beamed at Doctor. She was a short, even slightly ugly girl by Asari (and human) standards. Her tentacles lacked graceful curves, and her body was too rough to compete with the more attractive maidens of her village. Her only redeeming physical feature was her bright blue skin, and even that was nothing to be proud about. Her body was covered with so many scars that her bright blue skin only served to emphasize their ugliness.

However, what Hita lacked in elegance, she made up for with enthusiasm and vitality. Wearing simple pieces of animal hide and trinkets of colorful stones, she seemed to Doctor like a young, wild thing, and she was indeed that. Unbeknownst to Hita, Doctor found their relationship strange and somewhat unprecedented. She, the young innocent alien, and he, the old and weary human.

Doctor had found Hita a second time, wounded and bleeding near the same Asari shrine where he first found her, dying from radiation poisoning. Apparently, after he had healed her, she returned to her village, but instead of being welcomed, she was accused of witchcraft, and almost got lynched by her own tribe.

Patching her up had been easy. Doctor had a _Firefly_ and a _Flame_ with him, and he was able to take care of the rest on his own.

He would have left her there again at the shrine, but the Asari girl followed him, doggedly tracking his every step until she found the cave where he was hiding. Hita then appointed herself as Doctor's personal assistant, and took it upon herself to take care of the old human and his cave.

That was about a month ago, and throughout her time with Doctor, Hita had managed to make the old human laugh no less than four times – Truly, an incredible achievement.

* * *

Night came, and they had fish. Doctor's had no trouble eating it, but it would later give him indigestion. Alien species and all that.

For now, though, they were full and Hita made herself comfortable on the little cot Doctor gave her close to the back of the wall where it was warmer. But she wouldn't sleep. She never slept while the "Sta'kar" remained awake. She would only pretend to sleep, or if she's feeling particularly adventurous, watch him silently.

Tonight, she opted for the latter. And she knew that Doctor will never sleep until he was finished with whatever it is he is working on.

Presently, he was hunched over one of his machines, his face reflecting the strange lights from its projectors. To Hita, he seemed like a sorcerer making a mysterious spell, and even now, it still filled her with both awe and dread.

She had lived with Doctor for about a month now, and she found the alien god-like creature both strange and enigmatic. He looked so much like an Asari, and yet nothing like an Asari at all. He was too quiet, and there was a weariness in him that made her feel… sorrowful.

Hita didn't understand the purpose of Duktur's machines, but she understood that they were important somehow. Every day, strange flying machines would come to the cave, pour strange blue light into some the machines and fly away. When night came, Duktur would go to these machines, as though reading some dark tale.

The sorcerer-healer tried to answer some of her questions, but all she could understand was that these "drones" were magical servants of some kind, and that they were looking for something.

"For what?" Hita had asked Duktur.

"I'll know when I find it," he answered.

* * *

Presently, Doctor sighed and backed away from the machines, walked over to his supplies and opened a bottle of vodka.

Hita smiled as she saw the vodka. Doctor had given her some of his "Flame Water" and she had developed a taste for it. She waited patiently near the cave wall, a big smile on her face, waiting for Duktur to offer her some of his drink.

Doctor looked at Hita and frowned at her.

"You're enjoying these a little too much," he said chidingly, as he filled a (very) small glass with vodka, and gave it to her. He then poured one for himself.

Hita swallowed the drink with relish, welcoming the dizzying effect that came over her. She wanted to ask for more, but Doctor made it clear that he did not want her developing… bad habits. One time, shortly after he gave her a taste of vodka, she tried to meld with him. The old human, though, snapped at her like an angry father, and told her to go to sleep.

Hita, to her surprise, discovered that wise Duktur was a little shy, especially when it came to matters of love, and decided that it was probably for the best never to bring up the issue of melding again. After all, what would be the point? He could already directly communicate with her mind.

Hita drained her glass and gratefully returned the glass to the human, who put it away without any comment. Duktur usually didn't like to talk. When she first met him, she thought him as some kind of Angelic Asari, but there was nothing Asari about him. Not only was he quiet, he also seemed very morose, not just in his actions but also in his thoughts. She could feel his thoughts whenever he was around. It's like an aura that touched everything around him, a strange magic that she could not quite explain. Doctor said that it was because he was "sick." When she asked him to explain, however, he refused to answer…

"You're thinking a lot of things tonight," Doctor's psi-voice interrupted Hita's musings, and she looked up at the gnarled, bearded face across the camp fire. He no longer wore his strange black vestments when she first met him. Instead, he wore a brown coat of unknown material. It looked drab, but it pleased her, for it made him seem less alien.

"Yes," Hita answered shyly, and she did not know what else to say.

"How are your wounds?" Doctor asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"They are all healed now," Hita said. "Thanks to you. You healed them a few moons ago, remember?"

"That's not what I'm talking about," the human said.

"I know," Hita answered, and she quivered at the memory of her banishment; of how the priestesses of the goddess had called her Witch and a Demon. No, it's best to leave that behind.

"You're wondering about me," Doctor said, pouring himself another vodka. "And about the things I told you before. Come on now, go ahead and ask your questions."

Hita thought about the offer, and decided she would take it. "You once said that your magic is somehow related to some kind of illness. Are you really sick?" She asked hesitantly.

"In a manner of speaking," Doctor answered. "Yes, my entire people are sick, but it is a very… different kind of sickness," he said sadly, and he looked down to his hands, glaring at them as if they were diseased and festering.

"If you are sick then I will help you find a cure!" Hita declared bravely, "no matter how long it takes."

Doctor looked at her sadly and said, "There is no cure for our sickness."

"But you healed me of the vomiting plague," Hita said. "And that is the most terrible disease I know. Whatever your people are suffering, it surely pale in comparison to that."

To her surprise, Doctor laughed and then sighed deeply, as though he was suddenly tired. "Our sickness is the deadliest in the universe, Dyevushka, for it is the cancer of the soul," and his voice became a sad whisper. "There is no cure for us, only…" he struggled to find the right word and his mind wandered off into unknown places, and his face became grim and mournful.

"My mother and sisters died because of the plague," Hita said, as though all this talk of diseases brought up bitter memories. "Can we talk about other things?"

"I agree," Duktur said. He gulped what's left of the vodka bottle and summoned Hita to come closer. "Come on. Come here. I want to show you something."

Hita smiled and she ran to Doctor and cuddled with him, but the creature pushed her away, and she laughed at his embarrassed expression, so very Asari-like and yet so different!

Duktur rummaged through the boxes and crates in his cave, and found what he was looking for. He showed her a thin rectangular thing. It reminded Hita of… a leaf. But smooth and with sharp edges? Certainly nothing like any leaf she'd ever seen.

"What is that?" She asked.

"A photograph of my home."

"Your home?"

"Yes, Kiev."

"Ki-yev."

Doctor smiled at her.

"But what is a Fo-to-Gu'raf?"

Doctor sighed, and he tried his best to explain and Hita just looked at him puzzled, like he was describing some magical spell.

"What are those?" Hita asked brightly as she noticed tiny things at the bottom of the "Fo-To-Gu'raf."

"Those are cars," Doctor explained. "They are like…. Well, you ride inside them, and they take you where you need to go."

Hita looked up at Doctor in wonder. "And you made them with your magics?"

"Well, I suppose you could say that," he replied. "But it's a little like rolling a wheel, except more complex."

"Show me more!" She said beaming.

"Very well," Doctor rummaged through his and took out an album of old photos and magazine clippings. Hita looked down in wonder at the images, and she giggled. He showed her images of New York, Moscow, Budapest and all the other photos that he had; photos of the time before the Zone had covered the planet.

"What about this one?" Hita pointed at the photo of grey-looking city, empty and quiet and filled with sorrow.

"This one," Doctor said hesitantly. "Is Pripyat, but we just call it Yat these days."

"It seems so sad," Hita commented, not really sure the significance of the image, but deep down, she felt its ominous secrets.

"Perhaps, I will tell you the answer one day, Hita," Doctor said, and Hita smiled in surprise, as she heard her name spoken.

A photo fell out of the album and on to the cave floor. Hita picked it up before Doctor could, and she gasped as she saw the four humans on the image.

"That's you!" she squealed. "But who are the other Sta'kars?"

"That is Dyegtyarev. That is Strelok. And the dark skinned man is Anderson."

"They are your friends?"

"I suppose you could say that," he said then he put away the album. "You once asked me, why I am here. I… cannot tell you everything, but I can tell you this. My people are at war."

"At war with whom?"

To answer her question, Doctor psionically shared images of mutated rachnis and yahgs into her mind. Hita yelped back in fear, as her mind was filled with images of brooding giant insects and towering beasts thirsting for blood. She saw burning worlds and the night sky covered with death and debris. It was a terrible experience even if it only lasted for a second.

"What were those things?" She cried out in fear, even as she instinctively inched away from Doctor.

"They are called Rachni and Yahg. They are…"

"Demons!"

"No, just creatures like you me; creatures that have been corrupted by the Monolith."

"And this 'Mo-no-lit' is a demon."

Doctor laughed at that. "Some people have called it that, but no. No, the Monolith is a…" Doctor tried to look for words to explain but he couldn't find any. "Well, it's sort of like a living energy."

"A Demon!" Hita hissed to herself, which caused Doctor to sigh in exasperation.

The Hita's eyes brightened in new understanding. "And you have come to defend us from the demons? That's why you're here; to save us!"

"No," Duktur answered. It was the honest answer. "I came here because our enemies are here or are planning to come here. Your people are simply part of the battlefield. Nothing more." Doctor caught himself. "Well, no. That's a lie. There are other reasons but I cannot tell you more."

Hita didn't answer, but she was hurt, not just because of the secrecy but also because of the "Nothing more." Somehow, she had expected that Doctor had come to her world, specifically to save her and other Asari, but she realized that their meeting was nothing more than coincidence.

Despite her sadness, though, Hita was also wise enough to appreciate the truth. Would she have preferred some pretty lie? No, in a sense, she liked the truth, cold and pitiless though it may be.

They talked for another hour or more. They talked about their lives, about Duktur's planet "Earth" and their respective peoples. Hita did most of the talking, but Doctor shared a few secrets of his own, and Hita wished that the night would never end.

"Duk'tur?" Hita yawned, after finishing her tale about her deceased mother and sisters.

"Hm?"

"I'm not afraid of demons," Hita said as she yawned deeply. "After all, you're here with me. I know you'll protect me, protect… (yawn) us," then she drifted to sleep.

Doctor didn't answer. He took off his Stalker's long coat and covered her body, and the old Stalker stared up towards the night sky, wondering which parts of the galaxy Monolith and Great Faction forces were fighting on this very moment.


End file.
